Kindred Judgment part 1

To my dear friends

I hope this letter reaches you in time, for time, I'm afraid, is short. I have to call upon you, and anyone willing and able, for a large favour.

As all of Skyrim has noticed, there has been a large increase in Vampire attacks throughout the entire province. For the last week I have investigated who is behind all this, and I have been searching for a way to put an end to it. I strongly believe I have found both.

The threat of the Vampires affect us all, and therefore I believe that you have the right to know about it.

The main threat behind these Vampire attacks is a man named Harkon, a very old, and incredibly powerful Vampire. He has his home in a large fortress to the north-west of Solitude, on an island. There he has gathered a large number of Vampires around him, who, all of them, in their own right are powerful as well. He has made an enemy of all who dare to cross him, no matter who they are, or how close they were to him.

For the last weeks, a group known only as The Dawnguard, has been trying to rid Skyrim of these Vampires that threaten us all, and now we finally have the means. We have the intention of striking at the heart of the Vampire threat, and removing it, for once and for all.

I therefor call upon you to aid me in this. We will be needing every sword that we can muster, and every healer to aid us. I know that Skyrim has seen too much warfare and battles in the last year, but I ask you nonetheless. Any man or woman, willing and able to fight against these Vampires, I ask them to gather at Fort Dawnguard, near Stendarr's Beacon. Everything will be made more clear there.

Do not take this request, or this favour, lightly! Vampires are a powerful foe to anyone who is unprepared, no matter one's skill in combat. And these Vampires are stronger and more powerful than most. Do not feel called upon, if you cannot fight or are afraid. There is no honour in blindly walking to your death, and there is no shame in knowing your limits. I make no demands, nor do I order anyone to come. I humbly ask.

I do have to request that you do not ask anyone. The last thing we need is a panic, or the Vampires knowing of our plans. Keep this to yourselves, and ask only those you trust the most. No-one else. Travel only by day, and stick to the roads.

Tarrion Dovahsebrom

Serana said quietly at one of the tables in the dining area. She silently stared at the wall opposite to her, and she held a tankard tightly in her hands. The tankard was completely empty but she did not notice. She had her lips pressed against the cold metal, and did not hear the commotion elsewhere in the fortress.

Everyone was busy preparing for the final assault against Harkon and anyone that collaborated with him. Crates filled with weapons were being moved, Sorine Jorrard was refining her crossbow design and Gunmar was hammering on plate-armour. They all were occupied with their own thoughts and tasks, and they all felt the same; Harkon was the enemy, and he and his kind had to be rooted out. This time they would not cut of the head of the snake, but burn the entire body.

But Serana sat alone, still with the tankard in her hands, and staring at the empty walls. Isran had not allowed her to help, not even to help moving crates. He still did not trust Serana, no matter what Tarrion had said, or shouted. When Serana had left the room after they returned with Auriel's Bow, she had heard Tarrion fight with Isran. She had hoped that Isran would finally see her as an ally. She never wanted to hear a huge apology, or a massive 'thank you', but a simple gesture of trust would have been enough, but it seemed Isran was more stubborn than any Nord. Tarrion had become furious when he heard that Isran still had not accepted Serana, and the fight he had with him lasted almost an hour, but to no avail. Serana had to sit down, unable to help.

And now she was alone again. Tarrion had gone on a small quest to reclaim some lost Dawnguard artefact. Florentius, an Imperial who, according to Serana, was not right in the head, had told them of a certain axe. According to him, this axe burned the undead with fire, and grew more powerful with every enemy it slew, and Tarrion thought this axe would be useful in the final fight. Serana remembered how Tarrion made a quick joke about it.

"I do hope this 'long lost artefact' does not include another lady, being sealed away. That would be awkward." he had said.

Serana knew he was trying to lift her spirits, but it hadn't helped. She had told him that she needed some time alone, and that she wouldn't come with him. But mere minutes after he had left, she felt alone again. There was no-one that would talk to her, or even acknowledge her presence. She had not felt this alone, since the time that her mother started to shut her out, and it made the pain of loneliness all the worse. She knew that in one of the next few days, she had to face her father, and although she knew she meant nothing to him anymore, it made none of it easier. At first she wanted some time alone to come to terms with what had to be done, to understand where she stood, and what it all meant, but she ended up staring at the wall of the dining area, or staring at the ceiling as she lay on Tarrion's bed. She kept moving between the two places, longing for silence when she sat in the dining area, and longing for an end to the deafening silence when she lay on the bed. She knew now that nothing had ever made her feel the way she felt now, and without Tarrion next to her holding her hand, with his arm wrapped around her, with the warmth of his body against hers, with sound of his heartbeat… she knew that she was more alone than ever before, and a tear fell from her eye in the tankard.

She heard commotion from the main hall. Different than the sound of people giving each-other orders, or the scraping of barrels and crates, but it sounded like they were greeting someone. She looked up when she heard heard a name, and she felt a bit warmer. Tarrion had returned. She walked up to the main hall and saw the two-metre-tall Nord towering above most others, and she saw a strange looking axe on his belt.

"Ah, you're back."

Serana ducked behind the wall as she heard Isran. She had successfully avoided him this whole time, and she decided that she wanted to keep it that way.

"Yes… and it seemed Florentius was right, although he forgot to mention a horde of Falmer."

"I always knew there was something wrong with him."

Isran sounded more at ease around Tarrion, now that Serana was not standing near him.

"Ah, well." Tarrion continued and Serana saw how he rubbed rain out of his hair. She had not noticed that it was raining outside. "Let's hope this axe is as powerful as he says it is. But do you know where Serana is?"

Serana heard him and she felt her heart flutter when he asked after her. Even when she was not around, it seemed his thoughts were still with her, and for the first time in the last two days, she felt a slight smile on her face. It disappeared as soon as Isran talked.

"You should know that I have absolutely no time, or interest, to care about the whereabouts of that bloodsucker. She is not interfering with our preparations, and that is all I need to know."

Tarrion sighed and walked past Isran. "You could have just said 'no'."

Serana saw how Tarrion left the main hall and went up the staircase that lead to his room.

'Good,' she thought. 'that means I won't have to deal with the others.'

She stalked Tarrion as he went up the stairs. She was a Vampire and moved without a single sound, or even move of air. She became one with the shadows and followed them up the stairs and to the room, where she saw Tarrion enter. She waited a little bit, when she walked out of the shadows. She took a deep breath and held herself back for a few moments, and she felt Tarrion move about his room. She knew enough of him to know that he had just removed his upper tunic, and now had his entire upper body exposed. She waited just another moment for him to throw his weapons away, before she quickly moved to the door and entered the room.

As soon as she saw him, her heart fluttered and a deep warmth entered her. He had thrown his armour and weapons to a corner, and had hung his tunic in front of the fire that burned in the hearth. His entire body was covered in countless scars, but was just as strong as always. She knew that Tarrion was a large and strong man, and his muscles were apparent in the light of the fire. She could see the water on them glisten in the light, and it made her feel even warmer. His hair was almost as black as hers, but his eyes were deep and fierce. She intentionally made a slight sound to make him turn around and look at her.

Tarrion heard something and turned to the door, and saw two eyes glowing and staring at him. At any other time he would reach for his sword, or charge a spell in his hand, but now he stayed calm and smiled as she stepped into the light of the fire. She was slender, with a slim waist and smooth shoulders. Her black hair fell around her pale face, barely touching her shoulders and it made it seem like her eyes glowed even brighter. Her dark clothes left no room for open skin, but he saw her supple neck and face, which were beautifully pale. There was nothing that stained her face and her lips were slightly tilted in a smile.

"You are a sight-…"

But before he finished his sentence, she grabbed him and pulled him in for a deep kiss. They both closed their eyes and he grabbed her and lifted her off the ground.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and wrapped her arms around his neck as she let out a soft moan. The warmth from his body, the sound of his heartbeat and the feeling of him pressed against her, made her feel alive and excited, as he pushed her against the wall. Serana pushed back and forced Tarrion on the bed. He felt her hands rub over his back and her nails scratched his skin, and it made him feel warmer and he fell backwards on the soft furs. Serana grinded on him and moaned, now without holding back.

"Tarrion?"

They both refused to look up as they heard Isran's voice echo through the hallway. Serana cast a quick freezing spell on the door, making it unable to open. They heard how Isran walked up to the door and tried to open it, and he knocked.

"Tarrion? You there?"

"Yes." he answered, right before he was smothered by Serana's lips. He hardly payed attention to what Isran said afterward, because Serana had just moved his hands under her clothing, and he now ran his hands over her naked back.

"There are a few warriors standing outside, asking about you. I believe they said something about being 'Companions'."

"I'll be there….. in a minute."

"You'll need more than 'a minute'." Serana whispered in his ear, and she kissed a scar on his shoulder.

Tarrion smiled and bit his lip as she kissed one scar after the other.

"Tarrion! Get your ass out of there and explain to us what is going on."

Tarrion sat up straight as he recognized the voice that just yelled at him, and he sighed.

"Yes… yes, Aela. I'm coming."

He looked at Serana, who had her head slightly tilted, and looked at him with an especially sad look on her face.

"I'll just grab my tunic and then I'll be there." he said to the door and he stepped off the bed. Serana jumped after him and grabbed his tunic before him and held it behind her back.

"Try and take it." she whispered with a smile.

"Nothing simpler." he teased back, and he walked up to her until she had her back against the wall. He leaned in and kissed her on her neck and shoulder, before he gave her a playful bite in her neck. He wrapped his hands around her and pulled the tunic from her grasp.

"Don't worry." he whispered to her. "I won't be long."

"I know." she said, as she walked past him and rubbed her hand over his waist. "And to make sure you don't forget…"

She unbuttoned the top part of her clothing and lay on the bed, smiling seductively. "This should get you motivated."

Tarrion smirked, praising himself lucky and he put his tunic on and removed the ice that blocked the door.

Aela was standing just outside. Her brown hair hung loose, and she did not have her war-paint on. Her sharp brown eyes cast a quick glance inside and she saw Serana lying on the bed. She raised one eyebrow and looked at Tarrion and she rolled her eyes.

"Not a word." Tarrion said as he closed the door.

"Nor do I intend to."

"Not to me, or anyone else."

"Don't worry, Tarrion." and Aela waved it away. "Lydia already warned me, and I got the message that others cannot know."

When Tarrion and Serana returned from the Forgotten Vale, they passed Whiterun where Tarrion informed Lydia of the situation. He had asked her to aks the Companions to come, as Tarrion was the Harbinger.

"What if they ask questions about Serana?" had Lydia asked.

Tarrion had thought about it, but he knew it was unlikely that any of them knew about her. "Hmm... If Aela asks, you can tell her. But try to keep the rest out of it. Aela is smarter than most, and not much happens without her knowing of it."

He knew that Aela would be more inclined to understand, or at least not ask too many questions if she realized it was a matter close to Tarrion.

"Good." Tarrion said to Aela. "They might misunderstand."

"Ha! And could you blame them?"

"No, but I do hope that you trust me and I hope you give her a change."

"Yea… well…. We did not come here to ask about your love-life. What is going on with this Vampire business?"

"I'll explain when we join the others… speaking of which. Who is here?"

"So far?" Aela asked. "Me and the twins, Farkas and Vilkas. Lydia of-course, and Uthgerd decided to show up as well."

"Really?"

"Yes.. you know her. 'A true Nord woman never misses a change to prove her worth'." and Tarrion smiled as they walked down the stairs.

"That sounds like Uthgerd. But anyone else?"

"Yes. Jarl Balgruuf has send fifteen guardsmen to help. Iona from Riften has shown up with another six guardsmen, and another woman. I don't know who she is, but she has blond hair, and a greatsword on her back. I assume you do know her?"

"Mjoll." Tarrion nodded. "The Lioness. Now that I think of it, I should have expected her to come."

They entered the great hall and Tarrion saw Farkas leaning against a wall and Vilkas was talking to Iona. Lydia looked up as soon as Tarrion walked in, and walked to her Thane.

"Ah, I'm glad you have come." Tarrion sighed, and he meant it.

"Of-course, my Thane."

"Ah, Tarrion." Farkas rumbled. His heavy voice was unmistakable, and he came standing next to Aela. "Care to tell us what in the blazes is going on now?"

"Yes, but not here." Tarrion answered. "Come on. We'll go to the dining area. It's a bit quieter there."

Farkas pulled his brother away from Iona who also followed the group to the dining area. There they gathered around a table and Tarrion sighed before he explained what the situation was.

Tarrion explained what he had found out about Harkon and his plans. He told them of his adventures, but he did not include Serana. He thought it would be for the best if they knew as little as possible, and although he sensed that they suspected something, he said nothing about her.

"Alright," Iona said after Tarrion stopped talking. "So what is our plan of attack? You said these Vampires are hold up on this island fortress, so how do we get there?"

"Boats." Tarrion said plainly. "I send a letter to general Tullius in Solitude with a request for enough boats to take us there. The trip itself is not that far, but we will be needing the boats."

"But what about this place?" Vilkas asked. "Don't you think the Vampires will try to launch an attack here, while everyone is away?"

"I thought of that too. A smaller group will stay here, to defend the fortress in the case of such an attack. But I doubt that attack will be great. I am sure Harkon will gather the majority of his forces at the castle."

"Do you know how many Vampires are in that castle?" Lydia asked. "I hope you don't expect us to fight against an enemy in greater numbers than ours."

"True." Tarrion said. "I do not expect anyone to do that, but I don't know how many Vampires we are up against. At least not exactly. From what I can remember, I would say at least forty, maybe fifty Vampires."

All of them now looked shocked at Tarrion, and they all thought the same, until Aela voiced it.

"Then we are heavily outnumbered!"

"I know this, Aela." Tarrion said, and he calmed her. "But we are not weaker. We are all battle-hardened warriors, and I think more will come. But even if they won't, I still have two other friends that I will call upon. But not now."

Tarrion pulled out a small map that Serana had drawn. It was a sketch of the entire island, with markers that indicated the beach and the cliffs, and the main entrance to the fortress.

"This is a map of the island." Tarrion continued and he pointed at the main beach. "The main assault will land here. They will likely see us from a mile away, but I will arrange for cover. The attack on the island itself does not worry me. Once we're inside, we are going to have to fight for our lives. I cannot tell you how many pathways there are, or where the Vampires may be hiding, but I am confident that we can overpower them."

"And what about this Harkon?" Iona asked.

"I will take him on myself. I don't know exactly where he will be, but it is unlikely that he will be on the beach, or the main hall of the castle. He will likely be in a separate area of the castle, alone."

"How do you know this?"

"Because he is arrogant in his power." Tarrion said simply. "He cares not for his followers, not in the slightest. He will not be part of the main battle, and that might give us the advantage we need. If Harkon, the leader, is not present during the fighting, the others may lose heart."

They discussed long after this, and the plan was changed, altered and improved along the way. Mjoll had decided to join them, and she quickly proved she had a good eye for the best tactics that they could use. After the last few details, and changes in the plan, they all agreed with it. Tarrion knew the plan was shaky, and most of it would depend on sheer dumb luck, but it was the only plan that they had. Iona had been smart in pointing out that it might be possible to enter the same way Tarrion had entered before. Via the unused inlet, through the courtyard and then enter the castle. But Tarrion pointed out that that way was blocked off by rubble.

"Can't you remove it with your Shouts?" had Vilkas asked. "You know? Just 'fusrodah' it away?"

"Maybe." had Tarrion answered. "And then there is the other end of the path, which is probably also blocked by rubble, and then we have to find our way back to the main hall. That way relies on too many 'what-ifs' and 'maybes'."

They all knew how to execute the plan, but now they faced the question of when. When would they attack? Would it be wiser to attack now, and give Harkon no time to prepare? Or to wait and give themselves more time to prepare and gather strength, but in turn allowing Harkon to do the same?

These and other thoughts now echoed through Tarrion's head as he looked around the main hall for Isran. He later asked around and heard that he was no outside, preparing the men. As Tarrion walked through the main doors, he saw that it had stopped raining, and a large number of men now walked around the valley. He saw that there were at least thirty men and women gathered outside the fortress, and another ten were still inside. Tarrion knew it wouldn't be enough, but he was still confident that more would come.

"Isran!"

He found him standing on a small wooden watchtower, overseeing everyone in the valley. He leaned on his large hammer and he scratched his beard. When he turned around, Tarrion saw the wrinkles on his forehead.

"Hmm?" he hummed as Tarrion came standing next to him.

"I just informed my friends of the plan. There are a few slight changes, but it largely remains the same. A small force stays behind to protect the fortress, while the rest will head for the castle. There is only one thing left to decide."

"Which is?"

"When will we attack?" Tarrion asked. "We can wait another week to gather more men, but it will also give Harkon more time to gather his. We have to attack, and preferably soon."

"I agree." Isran grumbled. "I thought about it, and I think it is best that we leave tomorrow. It will take us a full day to reach the fortress, but we can set up camp on the shoreline. I heard that there is a fortress standing there, not too far from where we leave shore. That would be a good place to make camp."

"Northwatch Keep." Tarrion nodded. " It is probably overrun by bandits, but I will see to that. I'll send a letter to my housecarl to clear it out."

"Good. But then there is still the matter of those two 'friends' that you were supposed to call upon, and the matter of crossing over to the island. How do you plan to cover us?"

"I already said; You will see in time."

Isran grumbled again, clearly not happy with this answer, but Tarrion felt no need to explain. He had explained that he would help, but not how he would do it.

"Fine." and Isran stood up and turned to Tarrion, looking him straight in his eyes. "But that leaves one last matter to discuss."

"Which is?"

"That… Vampire that sits inside the castle." Isran said and he pointed behind him. "What of her? How do we know she will raise her hand against her own?"

"I trust her to do the right thing."

Tarrion's voice was calm and cold to Isran. He still felt anger toward him for not accepting Serana, or even trying to see her as a real person.

"But how can we-…" but Tarrion raised his hand, silencing him.

"Isran, I will not discuss this with you. I know you do not trust Serana, and I stopped caring about that a long time ago. But I do trust her… and that should be enough."

He looked Isran fiercely in his eyes, and Isran saw that he could not win it.

"Fine then." he said reluctantly. "I suppose it is as much as I could hope for. In that case I suggest you gather your things and rest well. We leave tomorrow. Early."

After Tarrion told the others that they would leave in the morning and after he send a quick letter to Solitude, he left and went to his room. He had enough of battle preparations and now longed for peace and quiet. As he entered the room, he half expected to see Serana leaning on the bed, but this was not so. She now stood in front of the fire, staring into the flames. Tarrion walked up to her and took her hands in his. She looked up to him, and he saw that her eyes were wet with tears.

"Are you alright?"

Serana opened her mouth, but she couldn't say anything. She turned and sat on the bed, her hands covering her face.

"No…. I'm not."

Tarrion kneeled in front of her and grabbed her hands again. Her eyes were now red with tears, and she felt colder than before, despite that the room was filled with the warmth of the fire.

"Tell me." he said kindly. "What do you feel?"

"It…. I'm…. I don't know… what to feel."

Her voice was small, and Tarrion could almost feel the grief that dripped from every word.

"We are marching against my own father." Serana said, and tears crawled over her pale face. "He… is evil…. And I know that he has to die, but…. He is still my father."

Serana stood up and walked toward one of the walls, and Tarrion sat on the bed. He watched as she desperately searched for an answer, and how her feelings now came boiling over.

"I… I don't think I am ready for this…. How can someone be ready to kill her own parent? I know that my father no longer sees me as his daughter… and I am trying not to see him as my father anymore, but…."

She looked up at Tarrion and her face now begged him. Tears crawled over her face and into her mouth.

"Tell me Tarrion." she said and he could hear the desperation in her voice. "Tell me what to do…. Tell me what to feel, because….. I don't know anymore."

Tarrion did not move, and saw how Serana looked at him like he was her last hope. He made a slight nod.

"Come here." he said quietly, and Serana walked up to him, and she sat on his lap. He hugged her and caressed her arms while he gave her a long and tender kiss.

"I do not know how you feel." he finally said. "I cannot know what you feel. My parents died when I was very young, and I hardly remember them. So I cannot imagine what you are going through, and I cannot give you advice."

He sighed and looked her in her eyes. They were still beautiful, despite the tears, and he gave her a slight smile.

"But I can give you a promise. I will promise you the same thing I promised you when we met your mother. I will never abandon you. Even if all the armies of Oblivion were standing between us, I would still come for you."

He pressed his head against hers, so that the tip of his nose touched hers and he closed his eyes.

"No matter what happens. I will be here. I will not leave you, Serana."

He sighed again, and he admitted to himself, and to her, what he felt.

"I love you."

And he saw that it meant the world to her. Slowly a slight smile shone through her teary face, and she answered.

"I love you too."

The night slowly fell, but neither of them noticed. Outside the others were preparing for battle, but not them. They now lay in bed, their arms wrapped around each other, and they both slept peacefully. Tarrion had removed his tunic, and Serana had thrown her cloak against the wall. She now rested her head on his chest, with one arm wrapped around him, and he had his hand on her back. The fur covers now barely reached Serana's shoulders, but neither of them felt cold. They both slept in peace, not caring for what would come. The only care they felt, was for what was in their arms.

=End of Chapter=

=Author's Notes=

So, an entire chapter with battle-preparations and feelings. I always thought that Serana making her peace with killing her own father was a little dry and empty in the game, so I tried to make it a bit more elaborate here. Isran is still a jerk but neither of them cares, for they have each other.

Stay tuned for the next chapter. I'll try to do my best in letting it live up to the expectations, and yet wrap up this arc, and the Dawnguard Questline as soon as possible.

No other languages used

(As always) I'm Dutch (from the Netherlands) so if there are any mistakes in spelling/grammar, please tell me about it.