Chapter 12: Travels with a Moth Priest

Serana resolutely moved her gaze from Sithia's lips to her hands, and watched as she unfolded her enchanted map.

Sithia traced her fingers over the parchment, smiling slightly as she almost caressed it. "You have no idea how much I've missed having this. You know how I said bad things happen when I ignore the route it gives? They also happen when I don't have it."

Serana frowned. She didn't like the sound of that. So much for Sithia being fine without the map if she stuck to the roads… What kind of trouble had found her Dragonborn in her absence? "What sort of bad things? Should I have left the map with you?"

"No, as it let you find me again after dealing with Elenwen. As for the bad things, I'll tell you later."

Serana raised an eyebrow. Later? More likely Sithia was avoiding the subject.

"Don't worry, they were more annoying than bad. We should get on our way, we've got to get Dexion to Fort Dawnguard and then go across the length of Skyrim to meet the Blades in the Reach. Wouldn't want to keep Delphine waiting too long, now, would we." Sithia's smirk faded. "Well, not Esbern. He's a bit old to be camping outside for long."

"So how are we getting to Fort Dawnguard?"

Sithia poked her map and traced the resulting line of blood. "Following the roads this time. Seems it knows we'll be using Dexion's carriage, it'll be far quicker than going on foot, especially at the pace he could manage. We'll be going by Riften. I'm not surprised, I need to collect everything I left there."

"Couldn't carry everything without me?" Serana asked. Leaving the Scroll in Sithia's safekeeping meant her pack would be too heavy for a mortal to manage with everything else in it, but surely Delphine could've picked up the slack.

"Delphine insisted on leaving everything that wasn't strictly essential. I think she just didn't want to be a pack mule." Sithia's eyes widened, and she shot Serana an apologetic look. "Er, not that you're one."

"Oh, I am, but only for you."

"And I appreciate it. I swear that Scroll weighs more than the rest of my junk put together."

"Shall I take it from here?"

Sithia shrugged. "Be my guest. If you're handling the luggage again, you might as well put whatever's in there in mine. I doubt that one expands." She pointed at the pack Serana had appropriated from the Thalmor.

"True." Serana reached into the pack and took out the remaining dossiers.

"More Thalmor dossiers? Whose are those?"

"Ulfric Stormcloak's and Delphine's. You're welcome to read them, but it sounds like it'd be better to do it on this Moth Priest's carriage."

"Should be interesting reading. But I'll read them when we next make camp, as I'll be driving the carriage."

Serana tucked the dossiers into Sithia's pack. After a moment's hesitation, she folded up the empty pack and stuffed it inside Sithia's. It might be useful in the event they had to separate again.

"Right," Sithia muttered, eyes on her map again. Memorising their route? "Should be simple enough." She folded the map back up and passed it to Serana. "Here, keep this in those handy pockets of yours."

Serana did as requested while Sithia picked up her new Glass sword and buckled it on, then handed Serana her cloak, still a little damp from the Rift's usual weather. She put it on, fastening the Volkihar brooch securely.

Serana turned to the doorway of Sithia's rented room, hearing the approaching heartbeats of two people. One of them cleared their throat and knocked on the wooden frame of the doorway. "Dragonborn, I wanted to say goodbye before I leave with Delphine. Are you decent?" Esbern's voice was slightly muffled by the curtain passing for the door.

"As much as I ever am," Sithia said, and swept the curtain aside.

Esbern stood beside Delphine, both of them wrapped up in cloaks and carrying knapsacks ready for their journey. He bowed. "Dragonborn, I am most indebted to you," he said quietly, clearly not intending to share this conversation with any other inhabitants of the inn. "I cannot thank you enough for—"

"I'd appreciate it if you Blades called me by my name," Sithia kept her voice low too, if with a far harder edge to it. "I don't think you know it yet, Esbern, as Delphine has never bothered to ask."

"I do know it, actually," Delphine said. "All part of doing my homework and finding out everything I could about you. I'm not deaf either; your vampire used it in Riften, and you've been trying to get the Moth Priest to stop calling you 'Dragonborn' too." She raised her chin, lips set in a mulish line. "But I'm not about to use your name. You're Dragonborn, and that's all that matters."

"Oh, Delphine, always so stubborn. And so rude," Esbern muttered under his breath. "Forgive me, Dragonborn. I should have asked this before now. What is your name?"

"Cynthia."

Judging by the knowing look in Delphine's eyes, the name she'd heard Serana use was not Sithia's taken name but her true name. Serana cursed under her breath. She had to get better at using 'Cynthia' in company.

Esbern took Sithia's hand and bent to kiss it. "Then I must thank you properly, Cynthia Dragonborn, for saving me from the Thalmor."

"It was a happy accident that your captors were passing when I called that storm up. And just Cynthia, please."

Esbern shook his head. "I'm sorry, Cynthia Dragonborn, but I cannot call you by your name alone. For there is no higher honour than to be Dragonborn as Talos was, especially when it means you may save us all. It would disrespect both Talos and Akatosh Himself to refer to you as if you were merely human."

Sithia heaved a sigh. "I suppose that's the best I'll get from a Blade." She exchanged a resigned look with Serana. Sithia's eyes lingered on her, an eyebrow raising as something occurred to her. "Come to think of it, you really owe some of that undying gratitude to my friend here, as her return with… news… is what provoked my storm calling."

Esbern turned to Serana. "My thanks, then, companion to the Dragonborn. Oh, where are my manners! What is your name, my dear?" If Delphine had mentioned her to him, she apparently hadn't included Serana's name either.

"Serana."

There was an awkward pause and Esbern's hand twitched as if he'd been about to reach for Serana's as he had for Sithia's. Hardly surprising he didn't want to touch a vampire. "Then I thank you, Serana."

"You're welcome. It may have been an accident, but it's one I'm glad happened. I wouldn't wish being a captive of the Thalmor on anyone."

"Indeed. I trust you will accompany Cynthia Dragonborn when she comes to find Sky Haven Temple with us?"

"Yes, if that's what the temple at Karthspire is called."

Esbern sighed. "Delphine, you didn't mention such an important detail as the name?"

"I gave them the details they need, like the location. I wasn't about to give them a history lesson."

"You did at least tell them that the knowledge we seek is carved upon Alduin's Wall?"

"Not by name, no," Sithia said.

Esbern pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. "Oh, Delphine. Just because you are not interested in history doesn't mean no one else is!"

"What can you tell us?" Serana asked. Even if Sithia wasn't interested, she was. History was one of things she'd read about to escape Castle Volkihar mentally even if she rarely could physically. Maybe Esbern would explain why there was an Akaviri temple in the Reach. The only thing she knew about Akavir was that it was a continent far to the east of Tamriel. She had yet to find a book about it.

Esbern smiled at her. "Oh, many things. I wish I still had my book, 'Annals of the Dragonguard', but I can remember most if not all of what it told. Just as well, it was destroyed in the fight I put up when the Thalmor caught me."

"Esbern," Delphine groaned. "The time."

"Just a moment Delphine, this will not take long." Esbern turned back to Serana. "The ancient Akaviri Dragonguard, the forerunners of the Blades, created Alduin's Wall in the late First Era."

So the Blades were once Akaviri… Did that mean Delphine's unusual sword was also of Akaviri origin? What little Sithia had told her about the Blades the night Delphine found them in Riften hadn't mentioned Akaviri, only that they'd once been the bodyguards of the Septim dynasty, and before that had hunted dragons.

"It sets down in stone all their accumulated dragonlore, all that they knew of Alduin and his return. Part history, part prophecy."

"Esbern…"

The old man ignored Delphine. "Despite being one of the wonders of the ancient world, its location was forgotten, but I found it again in one of the scraps I saved from the Blades' archives: Sky Haven Temple, an ancient Blades' sanctuary, hidden within the crags of—"

Delphine poked Esbern, interrupting his lecture. "We've got to go."

"Yes, yes." Esbern sighed. "It's just such a pity we must leave so soon. Ever since you mentioned finding this Moth Priest, I've been dying to compare notes with him. It's not often I have the chance to meet a fellow scholar, and thanks to the Thalmor I'm cheated of the opportunity. Perhaps another time…"

"Maybe you'll get to visit Fort Dawnguard while Dexion is kept safe there," Sithia said.

"I can hope. But first you must get him there, and we Blades must avoid any more Thalmor entanglements and get to Karthspire."

"Good luck. It might be an idea to avoid roads when you can," Sithia suggested. "We've already seen them in Holds where Thalmor shouldn't be."

'Holds, not Hold…' Was Sithia referring to more than just the Thalmor who'd kidnapped Esbern from Riften? Had they met Thalmor on the road to Winterhold?

"Don't worry, I'll get us there in one piece. We'll wait for you near Karthspire. And good luck to you too, knowing you, you'll need it," Delphine said.

Serana held up a hand. "Exactly where are we meeting? Even I know that island in the river Karth is a pretty big place, and I've never been to the Reach."

"The entrance to Sky Haven Temple should be on the eastern point of the island. We'll meet you there and find it together."

Esbern waved as Delphine dragged him out of the door. After it slammed shut behind them, Sithia walked across the inn to a curtained doorway opposite the room she'd used. Serana picked up the pack and followed her.

Sithia knocked on the doorframe. "Dexion?"

"Coming!" The curtain was pushed aside, revealing a bearded old man with his head shaved. A scar ran down from the corner of his left eye into his beard, going against Serana's expectations of a sheltered, studious priest. He'd clearly lived through some violence.

The Moth Priest brushed down his grey robes. "Following your, ah, wake up call, I decided might as well get up and ready to go on." He adjusted the sword strapped to his waist, drawing Serana's attention to it. It looked a lot like Delphine's. Was this Moth Priest also a Blade? Did that explain how he'd got his scar? She felt that he was a mage of sorts, but nowhere near as powerful as Esbern. Or Sithia, come to that.

"Dexion, this is Serana."

Dexion didn't offer his hand to shake, waving instead. "Well, hello there. As the Drag—"

"Stop right there," Sithia snapped. "For the last time, Moth Priest, I have a name. I suggest you use it."

Dexion cringed and hastily corrected himself. "As Cynthia said, I am Dexion Evicus, and I am a Moth Priest of the White-Gold Tower. So you are this friendly vampire I've heard so much about."

"Only good things, I hope."

"Oh yes, very much so. I gather you're very different to the vampire ruffians who tried to capture me in Winterhold."

Serana glanced at Sithia. Was that one of the bad things?

Dexion cleared his throat, bringing her attention back to him. "Furthermore, I hear you are the reason I have an Elder Scroll to read! We are rather short of them at the moment in the White-Gold Tower, you know. They all disappeared from our library the moment the White-Gold Concordat was signed."

"The what?"

"Ah, Cynthia mentioned that you were locked away with the Elder Scroll for quite a long time. The White-Gold Concordat is the peace treaty the Empire had to sign to bring the Great War with the Thalmor to an end."

"Could the Thalmor have stolen the Elder Scrolls from your library?"

"No, for they vanished right in front of my own eyes, you see. The Thalmor have powerful mages, it is true, but this was magic beyond even them. Besides, they were most interested in their mysterious disappearance, in a way that they wouldn't have been were they responsible."

"I see." Serana reached inside Sithia's pack to pull the Scroll out. Handling it briefly should be safe enough, she never wanted to rid herself of its lingering presence again. "Wait, speaking of Scrolls… You haven't read this one yet?"

Dexion eyed the Scroll hungrily. He reached out to touch it, almost as if he couldn't quite believe his eyes. "No, I'm afraid I haven't. The Drag—I mean, Cynthia thought I should be in a secure place first, which I presume is where we are going."

Sithia reached out to lay her hand over Serana's and shoved the Scroll back into the pack. "Not here. We can't risk its reading being overheard, and in case it results in our Moth Priest going blind, we need to be somewhere safe first." She turned to Dexion. "And yes, we're still heading for Fort Dawnguard. We're leaving as soon as your carriage is ready. Speaking of which, I'll check on the horse. You two get the luggage."

"I hope your storm did not frighten the poor thing too much," Dexion said.

"It's been through worse, it'll be fine." Like attacking vampires, apparently.

Sithia pulled her mask up and headed outside.

Dexion backed into his room and bent to pick up a knapsack beside the bed. Serana didn't follow him, as he clearly didn't want to turn his back on her, so likely didn't want to be too close to her either.

"I can take that too, if you like," Serana offered.

Dexion smiled, or what passed for it with a nervous twitch of his lips and beard. "Oh, no, that's quite all right, I can manage." He picked up the pack, groaning a little at the weight.

"If you say so."

Dexion raised his chin and tottered towards the door.

'Stubborn old man.' Serana sighed and led the way outside, guessing that Dexion wouldn't want her behind him.

Dawn was breaking, no sign left of Sithia's storm, not even any clouds. The sun was mercifully still hidden behind the towering distant mountains to the east. A chorus of bird song rang out, even more than usual in the Rift as the feathered population greeted the new day. Chickens clucked, one squawked, perhaps laying an egg. The local blacksmith was already at work, firing up his forge. The scorched corpses of the Thalmor killed by Sithia's storm still lay where it left them just north of the inn.

An equine scream split the air, sending birds scattering from the trees.

Crash.

Thud.

"…Ow…"

At Sithia's strangled wheeze of pain, Serana ran around the side of the inn to find her sprawled on the ground, gasping and hugging her ribs. The golden glow of healing magic surrounded her, sinking into her chest.

"Are you all right?" Serana knelt by Sithia's side.

Sithia nodded, still gasping for air.

In the stable beyond Sithia, doors thrown wide open, the horse reared, hooves flying, tossing its head. His head, judging by the equipment displayed.

"Oh dear, it seems the poor thing was spooked," Dexion said. He set his pack down on the carriage and approached the horse, hands raised, and making shushing noises.

Whatever other talents the Moth Priest had, being a horse whisperer was not one of them. The horse snorted, eyes wild, and Dexion narrowly avoided a kick. "Oh, my! Help!"

Serana pulled Sithia up and left her propped against the wall of inn while she got her breath back. Serana dumped the luggage on the carriage and walked over to the horse, stopping just out of reach of those hooves. She raised a hand, gathering magic in her palm, her eyes fixed on the horse. He blinked. By the time his eyes opened again, he was hers.

Serana stepped closer and patted the side of the horse's head. He whickered, leaning into her hand. He followed her to the carriage, backed into position, and let Sithia stagger over to get the reins and other things buckled into place.

Serana winced as she remembered watching Sithia ready a different horse she'd also had to enthral, one who ended up collapsing into ash.

Sithia climbed up into the driver's seat and picked up the reins. "Come on, you two, get on." She was still a little breathless after getting her comeuppance for spooking the horse, but not enough for Serana to worry. Well, not about her Dragonborn for once. The horse, though…

"What is it?" Sithia asked, frowning at Serana.

Serana shook her head. "I just hope it was the weight of the knapsack that doomed the last horse, not being enthralled."

"I still think naming that one that killed it," Sithia said. "So long as you don't do that, this one should be fine." She turned to Dexion. "Come on, old man. What's wrong?"

The wind changed direction, bringing with it the stench of Dexion's fear to Serana's nose. It wasn't pleasant. She held her breath.

Dexion stood where he'd fled to, on the other side of the carriage to Serana and the horse. "They tried to do that to me too. Enthralling," he said, his voice trembling. "Those… other vampires."

He was definitely scared of vampires, or at least their abilities. With that in mind, she clambered onto the carriage with Sithia sitting between her and the Moth Priest. The driver's seat was narrow enough that she felt the heat of Sithia's body pressed against her side.

"It's all right, Dexion, this vampire won't do that to you. She won't bite, either, unless you ask her very nicely." Sithia dropped her gentle tone with her next words: "Now get a move on, will you?"

Dexion finally got on, as far away from Serana as he could manage, in the back of the carriage with the rest of the baggage.

Sithia clicked her tongue and flicked the reins to set the horse going at a steady trot, following the paved road south.

"I'm sorry, Serana," Dexion said, in a small voice barely audible over the trundling of the carriage wheels. "I know you won't do anything to me. Cynthia trusts you, and I trust her judgement. How could I not, after she rescued me?"

Delphine must've kept her doubts to herself, then, for Dexion to have that much faith in Sithia's judgement. Especially where it concerned Serana herself.

"Rescued you… From these other vampires?" Her father's minions, no doubt. Unless a random bunch of them resident in Winterhold decided Dexion looked tasty. Serana glanced back at him. She couldn't see the attraction herself, but then again the tastiest morsel in all of Skyrim was sitting right next to her.

"Yes, indeed," Dexion said, his voice recovering as he warmed to his subject. "They arrived just in time – Cynthia and Delphine. Those vampires had just butchered my poor guards. My rescuers butchered the vampires in turn, or in the case of Cynthia, Shouted them into submission."

"So that's how you knew she was Dragonborn."

"That and it's not as if Delphine calls me anything else," Sithia grumbled. She flicked the reins, and the horse broke into a canter, the carriage swaying.

Serana laid a hand over Sithia's, and leant close to murmur to her, "I know how much you hate it, but take it out on Delphine, not the horse. Please? I'm already worried about how much the poor thing can take, and besides, we wouldn't want to risk Dexion tumbling out thanks to the joltier ride." She glanced back to see the old man grab one of the packs before it tumbled out.

Sithia sighed raggedly. "All right." She pulled on the reins and the horse slowed back to a trot.

Another sigh came from Dexion, this one in relief.

"Sorry. Anger management issues. With any luck we'll come across something soon… Something I can take it out on without feeling guilty. Where's a bandit when I need one?"

Serana narrowed her eyes as she caught sight of something on the road ahead, still mostly hidden by a rise in the land and the yellow leaves of the Rift's distinctive trees. Stone walls and towers, partly covered by something green. Moss?

As the carriage drew a little closer, Serana saw the stonework was crumbling away despite once being thick and imposing. A fort that had long ago seen better days. It straddled the road, two towers rising to the west and the encircling wall ending in a squat tower facing the eastern mountains.

At first glance it didn't look inhabited, but then Serana spotted a sentry standing over the arch where the road ran through the fort… and blockages on the road itself in front of the fort. Fences made of sharpened stakes tied together into a barricade. As no gate stood in the archway, perhaps this was a rather pricklier alternative.

Once they were close enough that Sithia had to be able to see it too, Serana asked, "What's that fort called?"

"Greenwall. I have no idea what it was called before the moss took over. What's that in the road?"

"Barricades. Whoever lives in that fort doesn't want anyone passing through."

"Oh dear, must we turn around?" Dexion asked.

"No, those barricades have to go. Either whoever holds that fort will move them, or I'll deal with them myself." By the gleam in Sithia's eyes, she hoped to Shout something to pieces. Serana stayed quiet about being able to shift them easily with her own vampiric strength - she'd hate to deprive her Dragonborn of fun.

"Who holds that fort? Might they be friendly?" Dexion asked.

"In this Hold? It'll be Stormcloaks or bandits. Anyway, Dexion, didn't you pass this way when you were heading north from Riften?"

"We didn't follow this road, my driver must have thought it best to avoid entanglements with Stormcloaks. He was provided by the Empire, after all."

Serana looked up at the sentry. He didn't look like he was wearing particularly distinctive armour, but she didn't have any idea what a Stormcloak wore. If they'd stopped in Windhelm, she might have a clue, but thanks to Sithia that hadn't happened. Come to think of that… "Are all Stormcloaks going to attack you on sight, or just the ones in Windhelm?"

"So far, just the Eastmarch guards. Can you see anyone up on the walls?"

"Just one sentry, on the archway over the road."

"What's he wearing?"

"Leather armour, I think."

"Could be a Stormcloak, they do wear leather. Is he wearing a blue surcoat?"

"No."

"I doubt he's a Stormcloak, then. I'll soon see for myself what this sentry is." Sithia flicked the reins to urge the horse up the slope to the fort. "Seems odd for just a single sentry to be out. I wonder… My Storm Call might've fried all the others. That could mean he's not an enemy, that the lightning spared him like it seemed to do with Esbern."

"Maybe." Serana wasn't about to suggest that she experiment by summoning another storm. Not while they were out in the open. "Or this sentry might be the only one brave enough to be outside after that."

"We'll see. Whoa there." Sithia pulled back on the reins, and the carriage rolled forward a little further before the horse halted just in front of the barricades.

"Hey!" The sentry called down, raising his bow and nocking an arrow. "You can't pass! This is a toll road, but after that freakish storm the Dragonborn summoned, no one else dares come out to shift the barricades. I'm afraid you two lovely ladies and your grandpa will have to go back."

"Toll road? Like the one that was at Valtheim Towers?"

"Every bit as unofficial, yeah." The sentry laughed. "Banditry has to pay somehow!"

"You're a bandit? Excellent, I'll deal with you the same way I dealt with the bandits of Valtheim Towers."

The sentry's ruddy face blanched. "You… Kynareth save me, you're the Dragonborn?"

Word must have spread about exactly how those bandits from Valtheim Towers had met their end, no doubt thanks to their talkative carriage driver.

Sithia inclined her head in a mocking bow. "My fame continues to spread. For once, I don't mind."

"Mercy!" His arrow clattered to the ramparts as nerveless fingers lost their grip. "That storm… it was Called from close by! My mates were right!" He dropped his bow and turned tail, disappearing from atop the archway. "It's the Dragonborn! Run for your lives!"

Sithia inhaled deeply, but held it before a Word of Power passed her lips. She turned to Serana. "Will Shouting spook the horse?"

"No, not while it's enthralled, not if I'm ready for it. Go ahead." Serana firmed her mental hold on the tether binding the horse to her will.

"FUS RO DAH!"

The wall of force shattered the barricades into splinters. The horse almost broke through her control, whinnying nervously. If she hadn't been prepared, he might have bolted. That would've been a rough ride. She had visions of Dexion and the luggage left on the road behind them.

Sithia slumped back against the carriage seat, breathing raggedly. Serana frowned. Perhaps it hadn't been the best idea to let her Shout so soon after having the breath kicked out of her by the horse.

"Are you sure you're all right?"

"I'm fine." Sithia pushed herself upright and tightened her grip on the reins. She urged the horse onwards. As they passed under the archway, Serana caught the sickly sweet scent of burning flesh. She looked around the inside of the fort and caught sight of several bodies, still smouldering. Sithia's storm must have caught them out in the open just like the Thalmor.

Sithia brought the horse to another stop just in front of the second archway, opposite the first. Another barricade blocked their way beyond it.

"Help!" The sentry screamed. They briefly glimpsed him as he bolted inside the fort. The thick wooden door to the fort slammed shut behind him. A thud heralded a bar dropping into place.

Sithia jumped down and staggered towards the door. "Finally," she gasped. "Some bandits."

Serana followed, and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Wait, are you sure about this?"

"I said I'm fine! I'm not about to let you have all the fun." Sithia reached the door to the fort. She leant against the wall and knocked on the door.

There was unsurprisingly no answer, just the muffled racket of the bandits piling up what sounded like the entire contents of the fort against the door.

"That's not quite what I meant. If these bandits were in our way, then I might insist on dealing with them, but they're not. Do we really have time for this?" Serana glanced back to check on Dexion. He'd stretched forwards to grab the reins, making sure the horse stayed put. "I'm sure we could force our way inside, or you'd use that ghostly Shout the same way you did to get into Whiterun, but you need time to recover."

"Well, now I feel cheated," Sithia grumbled. "If this happens when fame makes bandits run away from me, I do mind."

"Come on, let's go. We can go bandit hunting another day."

"Oh, all right." Sithia reluctantly turned away from the door and returned to the carriage.

Serana eyed her carefully. While obviously disappointed, Sithia didn't look like she was struggling to contain herself, not like she had before Shouting down the barricades. Perhaps her inner dragon needed the release of Shouting every so often. What's more, Sithia herself knew of the need, given how she'd used the Storm Call.

But if Shouting helped Sithia get a grip on her anger, what had she done before she absorbed her first dragon soul? Or had the awakening of her inborn nature also worsened her anger management issues? Not that she'd ask about it, not with Dexion in earshot. It wouldn't do to risk shaking his confidence in Sithia's judgement, not when he was already scared of her pet vampire.

"I'll deal with these," Serana said, pointing at the second set of barricades. "You may be a dragon in blood and soul, but you have to remember that you're not in body."

"Fine," Sithia snapped. She swung herself up into the driver's seat, taking the reins from Dexion. "Hurry up and get rid of those, then."

Serana grabbed the nearest barricade and picked it up like an oversized, awkward club. She swatted the other barricades off the road, half her attention on what Sithia grumbled under her breath.

"Damn vampire has to be right… Stupid body. Anyone who says being Dragonborn is an honour has no idea what the fuck they're talking about. It's a fucking insult to injury. 'Hey, Dragonborn, it's your destiny to slay Alduin or the world will end. And no, you can't have the benefits that come with being a dragon. No Shouting whenever you want to. No flying wherever you want to.' "

Serana tossed the barricade-come-club aside and turned back to the carriage. Dexion was watching from behind Sithia, eyes wide, face pale. Brilliant. She'd managed to make him even more petrified of her. He apparently hadn't realised quite how strong vampires were.

She took a step towards the carriage. Dexion flinched, his heart racing. Serana hesitated.

"Hey, are you going to get on, or do I have to come to you?" Sithia didn't wait for an answer. She shook her head and set the carriage moving. She halted beside Serana to let her climb up beside her, and flicked the reins. The horse trotted on, hooves slightly muffled by the moss on the paving stones. The road through the fort matched the state of the walls.

Dexion's heart was still beating faster than could be healthy for it. She'd better do something about that. It wouldn't do for their Moth Priest to expire before he read the Scroll.

She couldn't control his fear like she had with the horse, as it would be painfully obvious to the Dawnguard if Dexion arrived enthralled. At least it would be to Isran, as he'd been able to tell that Sithia wasn't.

What she could do was to use a little illusion magic to set Dexion's mind at ease, much as she had with Elenwen when first meeting her. She'd give it a try with her voice first, and use the stronger magic involved with touch if she needed to. Unless her first impression of his magical abilities was mistaken, he relied more on his sword than on his magic.

Serana concentrated, gathering her magicka in her tongue rather than her hand. It didn't really matter what she said, but she might as well satisfy her curiosity. "So, Dexion, I was wondering about your sword. I've only seen one other like it. Where did you get it from?"

Dexion sighed as his heartbeat returned to normal. The stench of fear also faded away. Good, she didn't need to resort to a stronger spell.

"Ah, my Akaviri katana, used by the Blades before they were disbanded. In fact this one once belonged to the Champion of Cyrodiil, she left it in the Blades' keeping before she vanished."

An Akaviri katana… Serana turned the unfamiliar terminology over in her mind, memorising it. Not that it was important, it was just the sort of detail she liked to learn. It also meant Delphine's sword was indeed of Akaviri origin.

"Such a pity about the White-Gold Concordat resulting in the downfall of the Blades, their history is fascinating," Dexion continued.

That treaty must be what gave the Thalmor licence to hunt the Blades and other Talos worshippers down. On that note… "Wearing a distinctive sword like that must be asking for trouble with the Thalmor."

"Oh, yes, if not for my being a Moth Priest… The Thalmor spared me when my fellow priests complained to the Emperor. If only all suspected Blades had such influence at their disposal." Dexion's voice trembled. Serana glanced back at him and caught him swiping a tear away.

Dexion smiled sadly at her. "At least it seems there are still Blades out there. Like Delphine, with her sword and skills… I hope she manages to keep the Thalmor from finding her. It would be nothing short of a tragedy if they did, I won't breathe a word of it to them."

"If the influence of the Moth Priests and the Emperor is enough to keep you out of their hands, then be glad you'll never be tested on how well your word holds up to torture," Sithia said grimly.

'They all break in the end.' Serana winced as she unwillingly remembered Elenwen's addition to Sithia's dossier. If the Thalmor ever managed to get their hands on Dexion, chances were that he'd break rather sooner than Sithia had.

"Is that something on the road ahead?" Sithia's voice brought Serana out of her dark thoughts. She looked around and narrowed her eyes. The something was a body, clad in—

Serana hissed, eyes snapping shut as the sun emerged from behind the mountains. "It's a body, but I can't tell you more than that. Not in sunlight. My eyesight's no better than yours in this." She drew her hood up, something she'd neglected to do with the sun hidden. Her eyes shadowed, she slowly opened them, letting them adjust as much as they could to the brightness.

"I wondered what would happen in daylight," Dexion said. "You don't burn, not like Cyrodiil's vampires, but it has some negative effects on you, doesn't it?"

"It cripples some of my senses, and stings, but other than that it doesn't hurt me." Serana glanced at Sithia. After feeding on her, the sunlight stung less than when she'd fed on anyone else. Nothing like dragon blood to start the day! Being under the sun still wasn't pleasant, of course. "Most vampires sleep during the day to avoid the drawbacks."

"So that's why vampire attacks happen at night." Dexion sounded relieved, perhaps because he'd been afraid of another attack at any time.

Serana grimaced. That she was up and about under the blazing sun was proof enough that vampires of her clan might stage a raid during the day. Unlikely, with their inability to heal, but possible. Still, it'd be kinder not to point that out to Dexion. She wouldn't always be around to magically calm him down.

"Looks like someone did get cooked, although not by the sun," Sithia said, drawing Serana's attention back to the body in the road ahead, now close enough to be clearly visible even in the blazing sunlight. The blackened corpse of a man in equally charred leather armour, lying facedown. It was impossible to tell what race it was, as the ears were burnt off.

"Another victim of your storm," Serana stated.

"Whoa," Sithia called the horse to another halt. She jumped down to inspect the corpse. "I've got my suspicions this poor sod may have deserved it." She kicked it over, revealing the face. What was left of it looked too angular to be anything but an elf, but precisely what sort was still a mystery with the skin that sizzled.

"Who was he?" Dexion asked.

"Going by what's left of his armour, he was a Dark Brotherhood assassin," Sithia said.

Come to think of it, it did look similar to the armour that Argonian female had been wearing, if rather blacker thanks to the lightning strike, and shaped to closely fit the opposite gender.

"As for his name, no idea. It's not as if I can know by just looking at him. I'd need to find something with it on." Sithia crouched down to search the pockets, and found a singed piece of paper. She unfolded it. "He was definitely Dark Brotherhood. Still no name, but I can tell you that my storm seems to have picked him out because he was sent after me."

"Another one?"

"Another?" Dexion echoed Serana. "There must be an interesting story behind that."

"Not really." Sithia shoved the body into the ditch by the side of the road. "Someone's taken out a contract on me, and that's just the second idiot they've sent after me. The first was easy to deal with, and this one… I didn't have to lift a finger."

"Oh." Dexion hummed, deep in thought. "I wonder who would dare do such a thing, sending assassins after the Dragonborn."

Sithia clambered back into the driver's seat. She passed the note to Serana before picking up the reins. She clicked her tongue and flicked the reins. The horse trotted on.

"I've always been good at making enemies. There's a pretty long list by now of people who'd want me dead. Could be any of them."

Serana inspected the note.

Succeed where our Sister failed, we need to earn the payment we've already received. Eliminate Cynthia Dragonborn.

-Astrid

"Put that with the first one, will you?"

"All right, I'll add it to your collection of death threats when we stop in Riften." The pack was back with Dexion, and probably too heavy to get him to pass up. Serana pocketed the note for the time being.

"You collect death threats?" Dexion sounded every bit as bemused as Serana was about Sithia's strange hobby.

"I might as well. Besides, these particular death threats come with a name. If they annoy me enough, it gives me something to go on to hunt them down."

"You mean if they keep sending assassins after you?"

"Sort of. Next time they'd better send someone competent, or I'll be insulted. Anyway, Dexion, make yourself useful and get out some breakfast, before I get any more tempted to eat the horse. I'm hungry enough."

Dexion rummaged around in the packs and passed a small sack to Sithia, who handed the reins to Serana while she devoured the hunk of bread and cheese inside it.

"Would you like anything, Serana?" Dexion asked. "That is, if vampires can eat food. I'm afraid I don't know."

"Thanks, but I've already eaten," Serana said, just to see Sithia's reaction. To feel it, too, pressed right up against her, sitting so closely together on the carriage driver's seat.

Sithia choked. Serana patted her on the back. Perhaps it would've been a better idea to play with her Dragonborn when she wasn't in danger of choking.

"And yes, Dexion, vampires can eat normal food, but it'd be wasted - we don't need it, not like blood."

Sithia pulled a bottle from the sack and drained it, dealing with her coughing fit. She glared at Serana and snatched the reins back. "Behave," she growled quietly. "And don't look so innocent, the tone of your voice when you said that about already eating… making me choke. I just hope Dexion didn't catch it, you flirt."

"On the subject of blood," Dexion said, his voice pitched loudly enough that he'd probably overheard and was pretending he hadn't. "Is the blood of the Dragonborn really dragon blood?"

"It definitely is," Serana said. "Si—Cynthia satisfied my curiosity about that by letting me sample hers, and I've also tasted a dragon's."

"Sampled it, eh?" Sithia muttered. "Is that what you call it?"

Serana licked her lips. Sithia elbowed her.

"Fascinating!" Dexion said. "We Moth Priests don't know much about Dragonborns, but we are familiar with the prophecies concerning them, as illuminated by past readings of the Scrolls."

"Like that of the Last Dragonborn?" Serana wondered if Dexion had overheard Esbern's recitation.

"Indeed. In fact, Cynthia, should you ever come across the Scroll containing that prophecy, and any others that might apply to you… You could read them. Not many outside Moth Priests are aware that the subject of a Scroll can safely read it."

"Really?" Serana looked at the enchanted knapsack, thinking of the Scroll it contained. Of the other one, hopefully still with her mother… Had Valerica read the Scrolls stolen from her father? Was being a vampire enough to safely read Scrolls about the prophecy of ending the Tyranny of the Sun?

It would explain why her mother had decided that the Scrolls could not remain with her father. But if Valerica had read them, how had she known it was safe? Or had she been so consumed with thwarting her husband that she'd taken the risk? Then she'd have had to act in case Harkon took that same chance. He was certainly crazy enough.

"Safely?" Sithia sounded dubious. As she might when, like Serana, as far as she'd known, reading an Elder Scroll would have either blinded her or taken her sanity. Or both.

"Well, it is dangerous to try if unsure of the contents. Of course, considering the nature of Elder Scrolls, such knowledge is rarely safe to assume."

Distracted by thoughts of the Scrolls and her mother, Serana was vaguely aware of the carriage rolling onwards past the Rift's ghostly white trees, and of Dexion telling Sithia more about the Scrolls.

Even distracted, and with the added constant sting of the sunlight, she still caught the gist of what Dexion said. Apparently even Moth Priests didn't know much about Elder Scrolls, which might imply that their very nature resisted understanding. No one knew where they came from, who wrote them, or why reading them risked blindness even for those with the ability to do so. All Moth Priests eventually went blind, although not so many at the moment with their shortage of Elder Scrolls.

The road wound steadily upwards, flanked by rocky outcrops and more trees. A timber watchtower loomed ahead, the first of three. Good, that meant they were nearing Riften. The sun had climbed to its highest point, glaring down at her. Serana couldn't wait to get inside, even briefly.

They finally reached Riften's north gates soon after midday. Serana wondered if they'd repaired the south-east gates Sithia had Shouted down, the ones they'd be leaving from. They'd been gone long enough, surely, even for a city with as slovenly an atmosphere as Riften.

A guard barred the way. "Halt, are you intending to pass through the city? There's a tax you need to pay—"

"Shut up!" His partner pulled him back. "That's the Dragonborn! Let her through before she Shouts down another set of gates!"

"Oh shit… My apologies, Dragonborn, didn't recognise you. We'll get these open for you, please don't Shout."

The guards hurriedly opened the gates and stood well back, holding them wide enough for the carriage to pass inside.

"Spineless," Sithia muttered. "Absolutely spineless. Do any guards actually have backbone?"

"Don't complain too much, you don't really want to pay a tax just to get Dexion's carriage through Riften, do you?"

"Good point. Especially as most of my gold is inside Riften, it's part of what Delphine insisted we leave behind." Sithia kept her voice down, obviously not wanting to share that fact with any eavesdroppers.

They left the carriage near the Bee and Barb. Dexion hesitated and looked back at it. "Shouldn't someone stay with it? If half the things I've heard about Riften are true, it might not be there when we return."

"No," Sithia said. "We've left nothing worth taking on the carriage, and if the carriage itself gets stolen we'll hire a new one. The same goes for the horse, he's no prize stallion. Besides…" She chuckled. "You'd have to be insane to steal from the Dragonborn. Word will get around from the guards exactly who that belongs to."

Serana had never been more tempted to steal Sithia's masked cowl. But she had to resist, Sithia wore it for a reason. And there were people wandering around Riften. There was no way of knowing if any of them were Thalmor spies, and only Sithia had the right to take the risk of revealing her face. That meant Serana would always have to fight that cowl-stealing urge, unless they were alone.

As they walked inside the inn, Sithia added, "That's why I marked the chest I rented here as 'Property of the Dragonborn'. With an additional mark for any thieves who'd regard that as a challenge."

Serana followed Sithia into the basement, leaving Dexion to order food. The chest was untouched, apart from Sithia's scrawl painted on it, and the mark etched into the wood: a diamond with two interlocking circles.

"Rasha taught me about that mark, used by the Thieves Guild as a warning to keep hands off."

"What about independent thieves?"

"I doubt any would dare operate in Riften. It's where Skyrim's Thieves Guild is based, and they don't tolerate competition. Freelancers either end up joining or facedown in the canal. Although rumour has it that the Guild's not doing so well these days."

Sithia emptied the contents of the chest into her pack - mostly potions and bags of gold. Serana pulled the assassin's note from her pocket and slipped it in too while she remembered.

They didn't stay long in Riften, leaving within the hour, after having a bite to eat and drink, Serana keeping the mortals company to blend in. Sithia ventured out to see to the horse and buy some more supplies while Dexion sampled the exotic speciality drinks. Maybe consuming alcohol was part of the Moth Priest's preparations for reading the Scroll?

Despite not staying long, by the time they left the inn, dark clouds had shrouded the sun and it was raining. Serana stifled a smile. While it might be a relief from the sun for her, Sithia and Dexion didn't look happy. Dexion covered his shaven head with a hooded cloak, while Sithia adjusted her masked cowl. Serana pulled her hood up, much as rain made a welcome change from sun, she'd rather stay as dry as possible.

The carriage was still there, with their beast of burden. The horse lifted his head from a bucket at his feet, water dripping from his mouth, and neighed in greeting. Serana patted him on the nose before clambering up next to Sithia, dumping her pack in the back next to Dexion.

"Hey!"

Serana looked up at the angry shout. A female guard stepped into the road ahead, blocking their way, one hand held up.

"You can't leave your carriage unattended for that long, it blocks the road."

"We're just leaving." Sithia pointedly looked at the empty road across the canal, but didn't push her luck verbally with the guard, no doubt impatient to leave.

"Good. See that you don't do it again. I don't care if you're the Dragonborn, you can use the stables like everyone else."

"Understood. Can we be on our way now?"

The guard folded her arms. "I have more to say. I was one of the guards tasked with clearing up the mess and fixing the gates you Shouted down. It would be appreciated if you restrain yourself in future, Dragonborn. Do you have any idea how many splinters I got?"

"I'll bear that in mind, provided none of your comrades try to scam me with an entry tax in future."

The guard nodded and stepped aside. "I'll spread the word. Glad we got that cleared up."

"And I'm glad to finally see a guard with a spine, or at least what passes for one around here," Sithia muttered under her breath. She flicked the reins, urging the horse on.

It was a bit of a tight squeeze with the carriage, but they soon emerged onto the road leading south, leaving the stagnant reek of Riften behind them. It didn't smell any better in the rain, sadly.

The rain mercifully lessened to drizzle. It would have been a miserable ride to Fort Dawnguard if it hadn't, even for Serana. She actually preferred the sting of sunlight when rain trickled down inside her clothing, which it did after a while thanks to the outstanding design. Unfortunately nothing else had the enchantment which meant she wouldn't end up naked afterwards if she had to resort to her monstrous form.

The carriage trundled onwards downhill, approaching a ruined stone tower, almost hidden from view by the trees. Over the patter of the rain on foliage, Serana heard the murmur of voices, with the background beating of distant hearts.

"…call this shelter? You said we'd be camping in the tower, and there's no inside to this ruin!"

"Better than nothing, and stop complaining, it's not raining that hard."

"Not yet. Is there even anything worth guarding in that chest?"

"Some gold. There'll be more with the next caravan we raid."

'More bandits…'

"Hey, do you hear that? Sounds like there might be one coming from Riften."

One of them peered around the side of the tower, eyeing the carriage greedily, fingering his rusty sword.

Serana quickly thought it over. They surely had enough time to deal with these sorry specimens, especially as these had no fort to retreat into. Perhaps this might make it up to her disappointed Dragonborn?

Serana put a hand on Sithia's arm. "You might want to stop. I spy a bandit or two over there. Enjoy."

Sithia handed the reins to Serana and jumped down without even waiting for the carriage to stop. She drew her shiny new sword and advanced on the hapless bandits.

Serana brought the horse to a halt, and pulled her hood down. It meant getting damper, but this way she'd see and hear more. Just in case.

"Shouldn't you go with her?" Dexion asked.

"No bandit is a match for her at her best, and in a tower that small and ruined there can't be many of them." Three, to be precise, going by the heartbeats, but it was probably best not to remind Dexion how powerful vampiric senses were. "Besides, out in the wild like this, someone should stay with you."

"Oh, I see. I suppose you're right."

"That and Cynthia's recovered from having the breath kicked out her by now." Almost before Serana got the words out of her mouth, Sithia proved as much:

"FUS RO DAH!"

Even Dexion must have caught the sickening snap of bones breaking. Only two of the bandits survived their forcible encounter with the tower stone, and one of those was dying, heart faltering.

"It does sound like the Dragonborn is managing just fine on her own," Dexion said over the begging of one of the bandits.

Serana heard a sharp blade pierce flesh twice, and the bandits fell silent. Now only Sithia's heart beat within the remains of the tower. A rummage in the bandits' chest later, and Sithia sauntered back to the carriage with two bulging bags of gold.

Serana put her hood back up while Sithia added her plunder to her pack, then they were underway again.

The drizzle eventually stopped, although it kept dripping from the trees. Serana eyed the sky warily, but it thankfully remained overcast.

The rest of their journey was pretty uneventful. Well, apart from running across some of the local wildlife interested in making a meal of them, especially of their horse: first a bear, then a pack of wolves, and finally a big frostbite spider.

Dexion didn't even see them, having dozed off, snoring away in the back of the carriage. He was oblivious to Serana's spellcasting too, as she picked off each creature from where she sat next to Sithia. Each beast fell before it touched the horse, who just trotted onwards thanks to being enthralled, unafraid.

Sithia wasn't bothered by the bear or the wolves. The spider, on the other hand…

After it collapsed in a tangle of legs, myriad eyes pierced by an Ice Spike, Serana turned to stare at Sithia. Her heart was racing, and trembling hands clutched the reins.

"You're afraid of spiders?"

"Not of the normal ones like there are in Cyrodiil. Isn't everyone scared of ones that big?" Sithia shuddered, eyes avoiding the dead spider, dwarfing the bear dead on the road behind them.

"I'm not. Don't worry, I'll protect you from the nasty frostbite spiders." Serana managed to suppress her smile, but failed to keep the amusement out of her voice. The big bad Dragonborn, afraid of spiders.

Sithia glowered at her. "You wouldn't like them either if you had to burn your way out of their webs and almost got eaten by one even bigger than that one."

The thought of that sobered Serana. Any frostbite spiders they met would be sure to meet a very swift and spiky end. Nothing threatened the life of her Dragonborn if there was anything she could do to prevent it.

"It's bad enough coming across them underground without tripping over them outside," Sithia grumbled. "I'd hoped that having the map again would mean less of that, but apparently not."

"That's one of the bad things?" Would Sithia actually talk about them now?

"Oh, right. You wanted to know about the annoyances I encountered without my map. Frostbite spiders, obviously. Trolls. I'm not scared of trolls, but I do hate them. I've met far too many frost trolls in the coldest parts of this frigid province, and most of them on my Moth Priest hunt."

"Anything else?"

"There was that snowstorm. Being stuck in close proximity to Delphine until it died down wasn't fun. I wish you'd been there, even if it's no good huddling for warmth with a vampire."

"I'm sure it could've been worse. At least Delphine has a warm body!" Not that Serana cared to think of Delphine that close to Sithia, but better that than her freezing.

"Other than that, just a Thalmor patrol escorting a Nord prisoner. Not that I really think the chance to kill more Thalmor is a bad thing. Come to think of it…" Sithia paused, head tilting towards Dexion as if suddenly remembering he was there.

"He's asleep, been snoring softly since before we met the bear."

"At least he'll be spared nightmares about enormous spiders. Anyway, now that such a terrible tragedy has befallen their First Emissary, the Thalmor are going to be more active, trying to hunt down her killer. We'll be seeing more Thalmor patrols around."

"We'll deal with them." The same way Serana had dealt with Elenwen if she had anything to do with it. "So just spiders, trolls, a snowstorm and Thalmor?"

"I can't think of anything else. You already know about breaking another sword while slaying a dragon, and I figure that would've happened even with the map."

They continued over a stone bridge, also passing a signpost with the only destination pointing back the way they'd come towards Riften. Clearly whatever was at the eastern end of the road wasn't important enough to the Jarl of the Rift to be included.

Darkness had fallen by the time they reached the cave opening to the canyon leading to Fort Dawnguard, the sunset obscured by the clouds. It was a tight squeeze through the cave, the horse reluctant to go through until Serana got down and lead him through. Thanks to the enthralment, he'd follow her anywhere.

Once he was out of the cave and his ears no longer pressed flat against his head, Serana climbed back up beside Sithia. It was a bit of a bumpy ride through the narrow opening to the canyon, rock walls rising either side of them before it opened out into the valley.

Dexion woke up with a snort. "This road needs some maintenance. Are we nearly there?"

"Yes, this is Dayspring Canyon. Fort Dawnguard's at the end of it," Sithia told him.

"Oh, how beautiful!"

Serana looked back to see Dexion staring around in wonder at the icy waterfall coming down from the mountains. The wind picked up, blowing cold air in their faces, and bringing with it the scent of pine mingled with—

Vampires.

AN:

Sorry it's been so long without an update, health issues and life in general happened, followed by the joys of writer's block. Next chapter will be coming a lot sooner than this one did!

Coming up next: There's vampires to deal with, and Dexion finally gets to read an Elder Scroll.

Check out 'The Stalhrim Job', and 'The Final Cut', gift fics for me by the wonderful BrunetteAuthorette99! They feature Sithia wreaking havoc with Brunette's Dragonborn Kajsa, and her assassin Finverior. Sithia is not Dragonborn in Kajsa's universe, but she's still an infamous Thalmor killing assassin. Brunette's done a great job with Sithia, and both gift fics can be found in my favourites.