The body of the sentry lay on a table in the keep of the fort. His throat had been slit and he had bled out. The only blood that could seen was coagulated on his skin. Around the corpse stood the other guards along with Farkas and Vilkas.

"Are you sure you didn't see anyone?" asked Vilkas.

They all shook their heads.

"Whoever they were, they got in and out without being noticed," said another sentry.

They were silent for a moment.

"I'm going to talk to our guest," said Farkas. "Let's see if she knows anything about this."

"How would she, she's been locked in that cell since she got here?" said Vilkas.

"This is why you are not in charge," replied Farkas.

He turned to the others.

"Bury the body," he said. "And be more vigilant in the future."

He turned to leave the room. He walked down a set of spiral stone stairs, the buzz of chatter from his colleagues faded out into the background. He descended further and further until he stepped out into a large room lined with cells. He approached the cell with Lucinda. She was laying on the bed roll with her back against the bars. He wrapped on the bars. She rolled over to see Farkas standing over her.

"It's not full moon yet," she said at once.

"One of our guards is dead," said Farkas simply. "He had his throat cut."

Lucinda blinked.

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?" asked Farkas.

"Oh yeah," said Lucinda her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I crept out of my cell and sliced his throat to drink his blood."

"Don't play games with me," yelled Farkas his eyes turned from black to yellow in an instant. "I know someone tried to rescue you."

"Incorrect," said Lucinda. "If someone had tried to rescue me, I wouldn't be here and you would be dead."

Farkas glowered at her.

"I will find out who killed him," he said. "If you are involved..."

"You will what?" asked Lucinda. She stood up to be level with him. "Your punishments can't be any worse for what you have got planned for me."

Farkas was silent. He glowered at her and turned to leave.

"Full moon is only four days away," called Lucinda. "I may not survive that long."

Farkas turned. In one move he dashed to her, put his hand through the bars and grabbed her throat.

"You are going to stay alive," he said. "You are going to because we need you. Do you understand?"

He gripped her neck, her face slowly turned a blue colour and he released her.

"You and me," he said. "We are going to do great things together. You'll see."

Lucinda spluttered as she caught her breath. Farkas watched her intently.

"Vampires," he said. "Not as tough as you like to believe."

He chuckled to himself and left. Lucinda watched him, glowing at him. Her eyes narrowed in anger and hatred.

Serana stood at the balcony overlooking the grounds of Castle Volkihar. To her left was her mother's workshop. To her right was the abandoned part of the Castle. No-one in living memory had visited this part of the Castle. Even Serana, who had grown up here had never set foot in this part. She was too scared. No-one knew what lay here and no-one had dared to find out.

She stood on the balcony. She leaned on it. The cold wind billowed her long, jet black hair. The cold didn't bother her. Being a Vampire she had no internal body heat and thus couldn't feel the differences between hot and cold. She stood in silence, the wind blowing her hair and ripping through her cold body. The thick fog surrounded the caste, giving it and eerie and mysterious feeling.

The door to her mother's workshop opened. She looked over to it but the fog was too thick to see who it was. She heard footsteps approaching her. They were getting closer and closer. She stood up straight and listened intently. The figure presented itself as Stefan. She sighed in relief and returned to mooching at the cold stone wall.

"Valerica said you would be here," he said.

He stood next to his wife and put his arm around her.

"Don't worry Serana," he said. "We will get our daughter back."

She rested her head on his shoulder and held him close.

"I know," she said softly. "I just wish I knew why they took her in the first place."

He sighed. He hugged his wife tightly and kissed her hair softly.

"I wish I knew that too," he replied.

They stood in silence. The wind rippled through them.

"You shouldn't stay out here," said Stefan. "You're going to catch your death."

Serana giggled.

"Catch my death?" asked Serana. "Death already caught me Stefan."

"It's a figure of speech," he said defensively.

The wind picked up and a door rattled against its door frame. Stefan looked over to see the door to the abandoned part of the Castle. It had come open and was banging in the wind.

"Serana," he asked pointing to it. "What's in that part of the Castle?"

Serana looked over to it.

"I don't know," she said. "I've never been there before."

"Truly?" asked Stefan.

Serana nodded.

"Aren't you slightly curious about what's inside?" he asked.

A smile lit up his features. Serana could see the curiosity in his eyes. It was like someone had lit a fire in his mind.

"A little," she said.

"Well," he said. "What are you waiting for? Let's go check it out."

He grabbed her hand and lead her over to the flailing door. He pushed it open. It creaked loudly and slammed into the stone wall. Large cobwebs criss-crossed the door frame. He cast a fire spell to burn them off and lead Serana into the room. He clutched her hand tightly and Serana held onto his arm in security. He stepped into the room and allowed his eyes to adjust to the semi-darkness. He looked down. His footsteps were not muffled by carpet but the accumulated filth and untouched dust of centuries.

He looked around. Serana stood next to him, her fingers locked into his. She was too nervous to let them go. She felt safe holding Stefan's hand, even after all these years, it still gave her an immense feeling of safety and security. She looked around, her eyes taking in the cobwebs, the dirt and the large amount of stained paintings that covered the wall.

Serana released Stefan's hand and began to look around freely. Now that she could see no threats in this new environment she felt safe enough to explore on her own. Stefan approached a nearby window. He picked up a cobwebby dishcloth and used to wipe the grimy window. The weak light poured in through the newly cleaned window. He repeated the process with the window next to this and with the other two across the other side of the room. Serana looked up and down at the cabinets lining the walls as he cleaned the windows.

The light streamed in through the windows. It revealed several wooden desks and tables laid neatly in the centre of the room. Each of them was populated with a ruined book, an ink pot and an ancient quill. At the front of the room was a grime encrusted blackboard. Next to the blackboard was a large desk and a winged armchair. Several scrolls were placed folded on the desk. Along the cabinets that lined the room were piles of ruined books and the stubs of long burned out candles.

"A classroom," said Serana as she looked around the room.

"Certainly seems like it," replied Stefan as she inspected the front desk and blackboard. "I wonder who they taught here."

"My family have had this castle for centuries," said Serana. "Several members of the Volkihar clan lived here before..."

She was silent for a moment.

"...the prophecy. I presume the children were taught here," finished Serana.

She continued looking around the room. Stefan glanced at the scrolls on the front desk. He stood next to the chair and picked one of them up. He removed the cobwebs from it and opened it. It was a scroll to teach how to summon a Flame Atronach. He placed it down and picked up another. This also described how to summon an Atronach but a storm variety. He picked up the last one. However, this one contained a drawing. But this drawing was like nothing he had ever seen before.

"Serana," he said. "Come take a look at this."