Chapter 1:
The Wolf Queen Awakened

It had been three months since they'd returned from the Soul Cairn with Valerica. She returned to the castle, to her lab and to her research. Serana and Emily returned to Solitude though they were frequent visitors to Castle Volkihar. It would take a long time for the relationship between mother and daughter to mend but it was a start.

Emily had been taken back on as an apprentice at the Alchemists and now with the help of two tutors she was making progress, both in alchemy and spellwork. Serana had taught her a rudimentary invisibility spell and though it was not perfect she could move around with only a shimmer in the air to mark her presence. As Serana had predicted she had little peace as one of Emily's new favourite pastimes was to sneak up on her wherever she was working and whisper in her ear. This would make the normally unflappable vampiress jump, spilling the contents of whatever potion she happened to be working on. She had also taught her a lightning spell as she had once promised in the ruins of Alftand. This spell, of course, had to be practiced outside the city walls for fear of startling the citizens. Emily was proving herself to be a willing and capable student and soon had a grasp of the simpler destruction spells.

It was late in the afternoon one Loredas as they sat on the back porch out of reach of the setting sun that Serana spoke up. "Do you think it might be time we started looking at property?"

Emily set down the book she had been reading. It was a book on plants native to the Colovian Highlands and was proving an interesting read.

"Well, we've got a tidy sum packed away already," she said, "While it might not be enough to buy a place outright but could let us put down a deposit on a nice little place." Serana held the mug of tea, cradling it in her hands.

"How do you go about getting a place out here anyway?" Emily asked. Serana shrugged her shoulders.

"Honestly, I have no idea," she replied, "I've only ever had one home and that belonged to my parents. But talking to the steward in the palace would probably be a good place to start. He handles most affairs within the Hold."

Emily glanced at her watch. It was a little after six.

"Well, soon as the sun sets we'll head up to the palace," she said, getting up off the porch and dusting herself down. Finn was playing in the snow outside. He rolled over onto his back, twisting his back against the snowy ground, getting much of it in his fur. He rolled back over and shook his head. He'd grown a lot since Emily had discovered him down by one of the many rivers she'd passed by on her way to Riften. No longer a pup, he'd grown into a sturdy young otter though this did little to dissuade him from taking his favoured position atop Emily's shoulders when they were travelling. He got up from where he was lying and hopped up onto the porch, crawling across to where Serana was sitting where he put his head in her lap. She tickled him behind his ears and he rolled over, swatting playfully at her hand.

Emily passed through the doors which led to the front of the shop. Angeline was busy harvesting bergamot seeds from the crisp dry seed pods, emptying them into small jars ready to be used in potions. "I'm going to head out to the Blue Palace this evening," said Emily as she unpacked several small bottles of a purple liquid from a crate lying on the desk, "See if we can get word on a place somewhere in the hold."

"I'll be sorry to see you both go," Angeline replied as she emptied the last of the seeds into the jar, "You've been such a big help around the shop." She wiped her hands on her apron. "So, a cosy little cottage built for two then?"

"Mmhmm," said Emily as she picked up the broom from the corner and began sweeping the floor behind the counter. "A place in the country I think. With roses around the door and tiger lilies in the garden perhaps." She leant on the broom, smiling dreamily at the conjured image. Angeline chuckled.

"Sounds like the perfect place for a young couple just starting out," she said. Emily looked over at her and blinked a couple of times.

"S'cuse me?" she said.

"Well, I assumed that was why the two of you wanted a place of your own," Angeline replied, "Emily, I may be old but I'm not senile. I've seen the way you look at her."

"Yeah, well, we're not exactly a couple," said Emily, scratching at the back of her neck, "I mean, we're not. I mean I like her but…" She sat down on the stool by the counter. "I mean, she's my best friend and I don't want to risk anything wrecking that, y'know?"

"Well," said Angeline sitting down on the opposite side of the counter, "You can tell me it's not my place if you like, but I think you should tell her. You never know."

"I know, you're right," Emily replied, "Maybe I will tell her someday."

"Tell her what?" Serana asked from the doorway. She crossed the floor to where the two were sitting. Finn was perched on her shoulder, watching them as she joined them at the counter.

"Oh," said Angeline, "I was…telling Emily that we need to have a word with Sybille Stentor. She told me she'd pay me by the end of the week for the five bags of taproots I sent up but so far nothing."

"Oh, right," Serana replied as she set Finn down on the counter, "Well, you can have a word with her when we go up to the palace then, Emily."

"Oh, that's alright," Angeline cut in, "It's not urgent. I'll go up on Morndas and have a word with her." Serana watched as Angeline got up and carried the jars of bergamot seeds over to the shelves behind the counter. She glanced out of the window where the sky was turning a deep shade of orange. "How about we head up in another hour?" she said to Emily.

"Alright," Emily replied, "I'll just finish sweeping out, have a bath and then we'll go."
The sun had just set behind the mountains to the west when they left the shop, closing the door behind them. It was the coldest month of Evening Star and snow lay thick on the streets and gathered in drifts against the stone walls. Though vampires are resilient to the cold Emily and Serana elected to wear furs so as not to draw suspicion from the local populace.

"Rather nice out tonight, isn't it?" said Emily as they passed through the market square. The stalls' roofs were covered in a thin layer of snow and the counters had been swept clear to make room for that day's merchandise. A couple of the stall holders had packed up early and retired to the Winking Skeever for a few pints of warm mead. Others had stuck around, unable to afford to do little else, and stood shivering, blowing on their hands in an attempt to keep warm while they waited hopefully for someone, anyone to show up.

"There'll be another snow before the night's over," Serana replied, "Still want to live this far north?" She raised an eyebrow at the earthling.

"A little snow won't kill us," Emily smiled, "Hey, not getting cold feet, are you? Or does the thought of nights alone with me frighten you." At these words Serana laughed.

"Emily, you couldn't frighten a mudcrab," she said, resting a hand on Emily's shoulder as they passed beneath the stone bridge that marked the divide between the trading and residential areas of Solitude, "But I think you might want to prepare yourself for disappointment. It's very unlikely we'll just find somewhere like that." She clicked her fingers to illustrate her point.

"Well, nothing beats a try," Emily replied, shrugging her shoulders, "And hey, if no one will sell us a house we'll just build our own. How hard can it be?"

"Very," said Serana, "We'd have to get the lumber and learn the carpenter's trade. Make sure there are no chinks in the roof to let sunlight through, whitewash it to protect the wood from the elements, probably learn a bit of smithing too to craft the nails and hinges we'll need, need I go on?" Emily paused in the snow.

"You always have to spoil everything, don't you?" she said in mock exasperation.

"Just facts, Em," Serana replied, "I'm just saying we might have a long wait ahead of us."

"Well, Angeline said we can stay as long as we need," said Emily, catching up to her as they walked up the hill towards the Blue Palace. With its roofs and towers bedecked with snow it looked, to Emily, quite festive and wouldn't have looked out of place on a Christmas card with its windows glowing warmly against the dark of the night. A guard stood on either side of the main doors and put out a hand to stop them as they approached.

"State your business," he said. His armour left his arms bare and Emily found herself wondering how on earth he managed to brave the cold winds that swept through the streets and down towards the palace.

"We'd like to speak to the Jarl's steward," Emily replied, "About housing."

"Do you have an appointment?" the guard asked.

"I...no, we don't," said Emily, "Is there any chance he could spare a few minutes?" The guard huffed a sigh of annoyance and turned to the door, pushing it open. They heard him conversing with someone on the far side of the door. Then he turned back to face them.

"Go on then," he said, "But be quick about it." They were about to cross the threshold when they heard hurried footsteps. The guard put up a hand to stop whoever it was but they ignored him and pushed past Emily with a mumbled apology. The guard rolled his eyes, grumbling to himself about the rabble he had to put up with and returned to his post. Serana and Emily followed the stranger inside. By the time the door had closed behind them the stranger has disappeared up a flight of stone steps at the far end of the hall.

"What was all that about?" asked Emily as they walked along the lavish carpets that decorated the main hall.

"No idea," Serana replied. They reached the same stone steps and climbed them to the upper floor. The palace was exactly as Emily remembered it but now there was only one throne standing against the far wall where once there had been two. Seated on the throne was Elisif the Fair, Jarl of Solitude. She was dressed in robes reserved purely for nobility and wore a gold and ruby circlet upon her head. Her face was stronger, sterner than she remembered and it seemed that her husband's death had only strengthened her resolve. She sat resolutely on her throne but showed a flicker of surprise when she saw the stranger kneel briefly before her in respect. It was evident that his arrival had not been planned.

"My Jarl, Dragon Bridge begs for your assistance," he said, "It's about Wolfskull Cave." The steward was about to say something to the stranger but Jarl Elisif shook her head and signaled for the man to continue.

"People have been going missing," he said, "Only last week a fur trader was due to arrive from Solitude. Odd lights were spotted coming from the hills the night before he was due to arrive. And then nothing, he never showed up." The Jarl waited patiently as the man continued. "There have been strange noises too," he said, "The Blacksmith's son was up near the cave chopping wood when he heard strange chanting. I fear there's some kind of dark magic going on there."

"Then we will of course send out a legion to scour the cave and secure the town," replied the Jarl to the dismay of her steward who had stopped midway through writing something down in a book he was carrying and he looked over at the woman wearing flowing blue robes, gauging her reaction in all this, "Haafingar's people will always be safe under my rule." The stranger bowed again as he spoke.

"Thank you, thank you, Jarl Elisif."

Then the woman in the flowing blue robes spoke up, cutting across the stranger's last words.

"Your eminence," she said flatly, "My scrying has suggested nothing in the area. Dragon Bridge is already under Imperial control and this is likely superstitious nonsense. A farmer's tale or two and no more." Emily noticed Serana looking hard at the woman and the slight tension creeping into her shoulders.

"What is it?" Emily asked in a voice that was barely a whisper but one she knew the vampiress would hear.

"She's one of us," Serana whispered back. Emily looked at the woman but she looked no different to when she had last seen her.

"Perhaps…a more tempered reaction…might be called for," said the steward tentatively. The Jarl considered his words for a moment.

"Very well," she said at last, "Tell Captain Aldis I said to assign a few extra soldiers to Dragon Bridge." The stranger had lost the relief in his voice when next he spoke.

"Thank you, Jarl Elisif," he said, "But what about the cave?"

"I will have someone take care of the cave," the steward assured him, "You can rest easy. You are dismissed." The stranger lingered a moment longer before the Jarl, evidently hoping something more might be said before turning on his heel and heading for the stairs. The steward sat back down on a chair near the window and took up the book and quill once more. He looked up again when Serana and Emily stopped before the table.

"Can I help you?" he asked, setting down the book on the table.

"We're hoping so," Emily replied, "My friend and I would like to buy a house. We've been putting the money together but we don't know if there's any property available. Could you tell us perhaps?"

"None in the city I'm afraid," the steward replied, "Proudspire was bought up only last month. Some wealthy general in the legion I believe. What kind of a property did you have in mind?" Emily looked over at Serana.

"Someplace out in the wilds," she said, "In the forest, away from it all."

"And what's your price range?" asked the steward.

"Anything around six thousand septims," Serana replied. The steward scratched at his beard, looking briefly down at the book where it lay open on the table.

"I don't know of anywhere in Haafingar that fits your needs then," he said. Emily frowned, looking down at the floor. It seemed Serana was right.

"But," the steward continued. Emily looked up, "I have contacts outside the city I could talk to if you would be willing to offer your services to the court."

"What kind of services?" Emily asked.

"I'm sure you witnessed our good friend Varnius appealing to the court concerning Wolfskull Cave," he said, "He's a bit jumpy at the best of times but I think it would be better if someone looked into it. Would you be willing to do that for me?"

"Where's Wolfskull Cave?" Emily asked.

"It's at the top of the road leading up into the hills just before you reach Dragon Bridge," the steward replied, "I don't suspect anything big but it would still pay to be prepared."

"What do you think?" Emily asked, turning to Serana.

"Couldn't do any harm to have a look," she replied, "It's been a while since we had a decent adventure."

"Alright," Emily said, turning back to the steward, "We'll do it."

"Excellent," the steward replied, "I'll pay you for your trouble when you return."

They left the castle and stood at the top of the hill overlooking the rest of Solitude's residential district.

"So, shall we head out now?" Emily asked.

"That would probably be best," Serana replied, "We could be back by tomorrow night."

"Serana," Emily asked as they walked back through the streets of Solitude, "How could you tell? About Sybille? How did you know she's one of us?"

"Well, if the eyes weren't a big enough giveaway," Serana replied, "It's something in her manner. A certain domineering power, something all vampires have."

"All vampires?" Emily asked, smiling and quirking an eyebrow at her companion, "Domineering? Not something I've noticed with you." Serana smiled.

"Well, maybe you just had a good influence on me," she replied.

"You give me far too much credit," said Emily, still smiling. They reached the gate and after speaking with the guard passed through. They travelled some distance from the town before Emily summoned Arvak. They climbed on and set out into the Haafingar wilderness. The night was quiet, buried under the muffled blanket of snow that coated the roads and trees. Frost glittered on the bark and the rocks that lay just off the road. The sky above was beginning to cloud over, promising the snow Serana had mentioned. Before they had reached the crossroads the first flakes had begun to fall and swirled about them as they rode up the hill towards the cave. They got down off the horse some distance from the top of the hill and Emily tethered him to a tree just off the road. She pulled Auriel's bow from her back as they advanced along the road. The road was silent save for the winds that blew down from Mount Kilkreath and the howl of a lone wolf far in the distance. Their night eyes scanned the area ahead of them and came to rest on something shambling in the shadows. Emily nocked an arrow and waited, watching. Whatever it was, was moving between the trees that grew close together near the entrance of the cave which was little more than a hole in the rock. Then a thin beam of moonlight broke through the cloud and shone down on the copse. It glowed on bone, clean and white and Emily saw the two pinpricks of blue light that marked the skeleton's eyes. Emily loosed the arrow which whistled through the air, striking the skeleton in the middle of its ribcage. The bones, released from their magic bindings, scattered to the earth as the lights in the skull dimmed. Serana watched as another skeleton came to check on the first. Then it looked in their direction and its jaw opened in a soundless cry as it drew a blade and advanced on them. Serana drew her dagger and ran out into the clearing. The blade flashed in her hand and then the skeleton was no more.

They crept close to the mouth of the cave, listening. From the depths they heard voices. Emily could not catch what they were saying but it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

"Necromancers," said Serana. They crept inside and followed the tunnels down. They were lit by lanterns perched on rocks and hanging from ropes stretched between stone pillars. A discarded iron battle-axe lay next to one of the lanterns and it clanked as Emily's boot nudged it out of the way. Dust skittered down from the ceiling and Emily felt the weight of the rock pressing down on them from above as they went deeper. The tunnels opened out into a small room, mostly empty save for the wooden handcart loaded up with rocks. Then Emily flattened herself against one of the rocks as a new sound met her ears. It was breathing, gurgling and ragged. It was a sound she'd heard before in the depths of Dimhollow and in the Castle Volkihar Undercroft: Draugr.

"Should've guessed they'd get someone else to do their dirty work," muttered Serana, indicating the cart. Emily nocked an arrow and stepped out from behind the pillar, advancing towards the mouth of the tunnel the breathing was coming from. Then she saw it, garbed in rotting leathers and wielding a formidable looking battle-axe. When it saw her it roared at her in guttural tones. Her arrow left the bow and whistled through the air, embedding itself in the draugr's chest. The draugr growled, reeling before shambling towards her, raising the battle-axe above its head. Emily swapped the bow for her dagger and ran at the draugr. She darted to one side as the battle-axe was brought down, crashing against the stones and sending up a shower of sparks. She took the opening and plunged the dagger into the draugr's chest. It roared in a mixture of fury and pain as it struggled with Emily, dropping the battle-axe as it tried to claw at her face. She hung on like grim death until its movements became feebler and it collapsed to the ground. But in the wake of its silence came voices from further down the corridor. She heard running footsteps and two mages in black robes appeared at the end of the tunnel ahead. Ice flashed on their fingertips and surged towards them. The ice struck Emily in the chest, pushing her backward. She braced herself against it as the second mage joined the fray. Serana raised a ward, running at the second mage who had a dagger raised, brandishing it at her. He lunged and she sidestepped, bring her dagger up towards his chest. He parried the blow and lunged again. Again and again the daggers clashed, sending off cascades of sparks. He dodged another blow aimed at his neck and Serana saw an opening, kicking him in the stomach. He stumbled back and she seized the opportunity to plunge the dagger into his chest.

Emily, coated from head to foot in frost turned away from the prone form of the first mage. There was a deep knife wound in her back and the last dying waves of ice still danced around her fingertips. She shook off the worst of the frost before heading towards the tunnel the mages had come from. It brought them to a crudely constructed campsite which stood just outside the door to a buried stone fort. A campfire crackled in one corner surrounded by several logs and the paltry remains of their meal.

"This fort must be ancient," said Emily as she rested a hand on one of the stone walls, "How long do you think it's been buried like this?"

"It could easily be hundreds of years if not thousands," Serana replied, "I don't remember reading anything about a Fort this close to Mount Kilkreath. We'd better be careful, I don't know what's down there."

They pulled open the door and slipped through. It creaked horribly as it was pulled open and they froze in place for a moment, watching the path ahead. When nothing stirred they moved on. Inside the fort the stones gave way to packed ice and the temperature dropped sharply. The ice crunched under their boots as they made their way towards an area where the tunnel opened out once more. In the centre of the cave there was a hole in the ground through which a howling wind blew. Faint moonlight shone down through a hole in the ceiling, lending the cave an eerie unearthly glow. A few scrawny plants grew around the edges of the cave and lichen grew on the walls. They strode over towards the hole in the ground and looked down.

"Looks like that's our way forward," said Emily, reaching into her bag and pulling out a length of rope. She tied it around a sturdy looking rock and stood with her back to the hole. "Ready?" she asked the vampiress. Serana nodded and Emily glanced briefly over her shoulder before leaping backwards down the hole. The rope pulled taut, stopping her descent abruptly and she swung slowly to and fro. She listened but heard nothing but the wind and the whisper of branches bending before it. She hopped down off the rope onto the pile of rubble that littered the floor. Serana climbed down the rope after her and together they made their way down the tunnel. It was lit by torches and brought them down to a vast cavern. They saw the blue tendrils of light snaking ahead of them and looked around them in awe as they emerged from the tunnel. Sitting at the heart of the cavern was a stone fortress and at the summit of the tallest tower floated a glowing white figure.

"What is that?" Emily asked. Before Serana could reply a voice rang out from the tower, shattering the stillness.

"Wolf Queen. Hear our call and awaken. We summon Potema." This voice was answered by several others all intoning the words, "We summon Potema." Serana and Emily looked at one another. Emily had heard of the Wolf Queen. Entire volumes had been written on her wicked deeds during her time as Queen of Solitude.

"Long have you slept the dreamless sleep of death, Potema. Hear us Wolf Queen! We summon you!"

"We summon Potema!" they intoned.

"That's not good," said Serana under her breath, "Come on." They left the ledge on which they stood and followed a tunnel which led further down into the cavern. Ahead of them Serana could see the shadow of another mage reflected upon the far wall. A brazier burned close by, doing little to warm the cave and the mage was rubbing his hands together in a vain attempt to keep warm.

"Now might be a good time to test out that invisibility spell of yours," whispered Serana. Emily nodded, taking Serana's hand. She, closed her eyes and felt that strange, fuzzy, unreal feeling come over her, spreading out from her head and down her body. When she opened her eyes both she and Serana had vanished, leaving only a faint shimmer in the air. They crept down over the ledge and dropped quietly to the floor below, leaving the room behind. Emily looked back over her shoulder to check that the mage was still standing by the brazier.

"Emily," Serana hissed. Emily quickly turned back as she bumped into a column of bones hanging from the ceiling. They rattled and the two of them froze as they heard the mage step away from the brazier, conjuring ice on his palms.

"What was that?" they heard him say as he reached the mouth of the tunnel. Serana released Emily's hand, reaching for her blade. The spell broke as she leapt at him, plunging the dagger into his chest. He crumpled to the earth and Serana re-joined Emily.

"I'd hoped we could've avoided that," she said under her breath. She slipped past Emily and they carried on down the tunnel. They crept down the stone steps on the far side, keeping to the shadows to avoid the draugr patrolling the area and into the doorway of the nearest stone tower. From here they climbed the spiral stone steps, stopping to listen every few steps. As they neared the top they heard the same rasping breathing they had heard in the tunnel near the cave's entrance. Emily nocked an arrow and climbed slowly up the remaining steps. The draugr stood in the centre of the room, seemingly with nothing to occupy its attention. Above it, hanging from a rope, was an oil lamp. It dripped steadily and she noticed the floor beneath it was covered in a thin film of oil. Rather than aiming for the draugr Emily aimed for the lamp. The draugr looked up in time with a menacing growl as the arrow struck the lamp and it fell from its lofty perch. With the sound of shattering earthenware it exploded and flames leapt across the floor, engulfing the draugr. Its dry, cracked skin burst into flames and it staggered back, crashing into the wall as it dropped its blade. Then it collapsed in a heap as the flames leapt across its still form. The smell was horrific and they moved swiftly out of the tower.

Their journey took them up yet more stone steps that led up to the higher reaches. As they neared the top of the flight of stairs there was a flash of light as the figure at the summit of the tower doubled in brightness and a voice rang out across the cavern, shaking the very rocks.

"Yes! Yes! return me to this realm!"

"Well, she sounds like she's enjoying that power a bit too much," Emily muttered. This earned her a nudge from her companion.

"I'd take this a bit more seriously if I were you," Serana replied, "She could turn you into a worm if she chose."

"Eugh," said Emily, squirming at the thought.

"As our voices summon you the blood of the innocent binds you, Wolf Queen," intoned the voice of a woman.

"Summoned with words, bound by blood," said the other mages partaking in the ritual. At this the voice of the Wolf Queen bloomed into ferocity and the spirit floating above the tower blazed with fury.

"What!" she yelled, "What are you doing?! You fools! You cannot bind me to your wills!" But the mages paid her no heed and merely repeated their mantra. The Wolf Queen roared her disapproval, "You ants don't have the power to bind me!"

At the top of the tower the ritual master paused in her chanting. "Jogrolf, check the stairs, I think we have an intruder." One of the necromancers broke away from the ritual and went to the stairs, drawing his dagger. He saw the two vampires approaching from below.

"Intruders," he bellowed before readying an ice spell on his right hand. Three of the mages broke from the ritual and joined him at the top of the stairs. Emily brought up a ward and together they ran at the mages. Emily parried a blow from the first and ducked to dodge a second blow. She struggled to keep her balance and lunged forwards, slashing at the legs of one of them. He yelled and toppled backwards as another of them brought down his dagger, aiming for her unprotected back. Serana launched an ice spike, catching the offending mage in his stomach and sending him reeling back against the altar where he cracked his head on the side of it.

Emily ran up the last few steps, knocking back the first mage whose legs she'd slashed at. He hobbled back against the altar next to his fallen comrade. The ritual master had broken contact with the altar and now moved toward them, an ice spike readied on her palm.

"What is the matter with you fools?" she barked. She looked from the mage lying slumped in front of the altar and the one with the bleeding legs to the two who remained poised ready to attack. The Wolf Queen's spirit hung suspended above them, half-bound. Serana readied a ward as the ritual master struck out with the ice spike. The ward shattered and Serana dodged to one side as she aimed a second. Emily lunged at one of the remaining mages. He launched an ice spike at her and Emily ducked, rolling to one side. The ice spike struck the mage struggling to stand next to the altar and the force knocked him back over the edge of the tower. Emily's blade struck out, embedding itself in the mage's shoulder. He let out a yell and staggered back, launching a bolt of lightning as he fell. The bolt struck Emily's arm and she dropped the blade, clutching at her arm as every muscle twitched uncontrollably. Seizing his opportunity the mage swiped the dagger from the ground and aimed a blow at Emily.

Serana knocked Emily to one side, parrying the blow aimed for her head. The mage lunged again and Serana saw the opening, plunging her dagger into his chest. He dropped the dagger and Emily dodged around him, grabbing up the dagger and making for the ritual master who was advancing on them. A bolt of lightning struck the ground at Emily's feet and she leapt to one side up onto the altar. Emily launched a bolt of her own at the elderly conjurer who conjured a ward. The bolt bounced harmlessly off it and Emily was forced to duck as it whizzed past her head. Serana turned away from the body of the mage and rounded on the Ritual Master. Together they advanced on the conjurer, forcing her back against the raised wooden bridge on the far side of the altar. They then hung back, just out of reach of her blade which she had pulled from her hip. When she loosed an ice spike from her palm Serana saw her chance, dashing towards her and plunging her dagger into her heart. The moment the blood gushed over her fingers there was a bright flash and an explosive blast of energy. They turned and watched as the light that was Potema's spirit gathered above the altar. Then it began to drift towards one of the holes in the roof of the cavern, tendrils of blue light swirling about it. With one last rumble it fled up through the hole and was gone.

Silence now pervaded the cave, leaving Emily and Serana staring at the hole in the cavern ceiling, neither of them speaking. They stood like that for several minutes.

"Do you think we did it?" Emily asked at last, turning to face Serana. Blood was running down from a cut on her forehead but she ignored it.

"I hope so," Serana replied. She looked up through the hole at the sky outside. "Come on, I think we've got time to get back to Solitude before sunrise." Emily took one last look at the altar. It was engraved with a strange symbol resembling a wolf's head with a mouthful of gnashing teeth and each of the grooves was filled with blood. Small braziers encircled it. Emily then hurried after Serana who was standing next to the raised bridge.

Emily pulled a lever and it lowered, allowing them to cross. They made their way down the steps on the far side and out through a wooden door. This door took them back towards the entrance of the cave and it was with relief that they set foot outside. The moons were still high in the sky as they crossed the cobblestones and made their way down the path to where they left Arvak. The snows had come and Arvak shook the snow from his bones when he saw their approach, swishing his tail of cold fire. Once they'd climbed up on his back they rode off back to Solitude. The journey back was markedly quiet and uneventful. Emily kept looking at the sky, half expecting the Wolf Queen to be riding the spectral winds but the sky was mostly clear with a few clouds scattered towards the North. She glanced at her watch. It was a little after four in the morning.

"Think we should just go straight to the steward or leave it until tonight?" she asked Serana.

"I think he needs to know about this," Serana replied, "We'll risk getting him out of bed."

They reached the hill before the city and got down off Arvak's back. Emily recalled him and they made their way down the hill and up towards the city. Luckily for them it was the same guard on duty and he let them back in after they told him they had urgent news for the steward. The streets of Solitude were silent and even the Winking Skeever had fallen still. They noticed a man in furs sleeping in one of the hay bales at the side of the Inn, a few empty bottles of mead scattered about him. There were lights on in most of the houses and garlands were strung from the eaves. Blue banners hung on either side of the door of the Winking Skeever, depicting a mistletoe plant and most doors were adorned with a wreath of snowberries. The New Life Festival was swift approaching and though the celebrations officially began in most of Tamriel on the 1st Morning Star the Breton populace and some of the Nords of Solitude chose to start the celebrations on the 25th Evening Star though the decorations appeared long before then. None of the merchants minded as it afforded them larger profits as the end of the year approached.

At last they reached the palace and after the guards let them through they waited in the foyer while Falk Firebeard was fetched from his bed. There was one other person standing in the foyer with them. He looked to be a man in his middle sixties, dressed in fine clothes and carrying a cane. He looked to be waiting for someone and his eyes were younger than his face, alive with a kind of child-like glee. Emily thought he looked rather out of place, even in the palace though for the life of her she couldn't put her finger on it. When she said as much to Serana she glanced over at the man and said he was probably a visiting Imperial noble. A few minutes later Falk Firebeard emerged, yawning, from his room on the upper floor. He looked as though he had dressed quickly and he descended the stairs and crossed the room to where they were standing.

"I didn't expect you back this early in the morning," he said, "Well, did you find anything?"

"We did," Emily replied, "They were trying to resurrect and bind Potema."

"They…they what?" said Falk Firebeard, all traces of tiredness vanishing from his face in an instant, "Who?"

"A group of necromancers," Serana replied, "We don't know what cult they belonged to but they looked like they'd been planning it for some time. There was an altar carved with the Wolf Queen's symbol."

"Please tell me you stopped them," Falk said imploringly. Emily nodded.

"We did," she replied, "Their leader and all their followers are dead."

"And Potema?" asked Falk.

"Whatever they managed to summon fled," Serana answered, "Whether it was Potema herself or a malevolent spirit masquerading as her, she's gone."

"Good," he said, a note of relief evident in his voice, "You've done a larger service to the realm than you could possible know. A resurrected Potema." He shuddered involuntarily. "Here, here's the gold and I'll send word to my contacts as promised. Thank you again." He handed Emily and Serana a large pouchful of gold.

"Wow, there's over a thousand septims in here," said Emily as they left the palace, "This is great. We could get a nice…I dunno…firepit or alchemy lab or whatever it is the folks of Skyrim get with a big bag of gold." Serana chuckled.

"How about a room to put all that worthless junk you keep picking up on our adventures?" she suggested.

"Worthless junk?" Emily replied, feigning a hurt expression, "I'll have you know that was all perfectly useful j- I mean, collectible items. Sold a good bit of it to Sayma the other night. I take it you won't complain when I add the proceeds to our house fund?"

"Come on," Serana laughed, "Let's get back. The sun will be up soon and I don't know about you but I wouldn't mind a bath."