Follows, favourites and reviews are appreciated, so if you want to then go ahead. Thanks to everyone who has done any of that and thanks to everyone who's read the story.

Word count.

Original: 1,147

Re-write: 3,176

Chapter IX

Lucky

Mortis

It's been a good couple of hours by now and the priest still hasn't woken up. He's just lying still on the ground. I scratch at my beard and glance at Serana, she's just sat there waiting for the priest to wake up. She idly rubs at the wound on her leg, scratching at the exposed skin from the tear in her trousers. Her very pale, blood stained skin.

I lean my head back against the wall again. Closing my eyes and resting my hands in my lap. Serana groans slightly but I just ignore her. I move slightly trying to get a bit more comfortable against the wall, that fall into the river wasn't the best and landing hard on those rocks wasn't the best for my shoulder.

"You're not from Skyrim are you?" She asks, breaking the silence we've been sat in for the past two hours. I don't answer favouring instead to just sit here with my eyes closed. "I mean I know most Nord's can't read but I heard you mumble something about a journal before." She adds. Clever or at least a good memory, she's not wrong I'm not from Skyrim and I can't read the Nordic language. "So where are you from?"

"Cyrodiil." I answer her. I don't bother to mention that I haven't been back there in a long time, really I've been avoiding going back there or anywhere near there. Nothing there anymore anyway, only bad memories.

I glance at her out of the corner of my eye she just looks forward, maybe she's waiting for me to say more. Maybe she knows I'm not a sharer. Maybe she just wants to wait for the priest in silence. That would be my luck she digs up memories and then sits in silence the one time I would welcome her chit chat. I rub the ring on my finger through the rough leather absently, closing my eyes again I let my head drop back against the wall.

"Cyrodiil?" She mumbles, trust her to start talking now I've come to the conclusion that I don't want her to speak. "What's it like there?" She asks. I don't know how old she is but she must have sat on that island, in that castle for quite a few years, hidden away from the world before she was actually hidden away in that crypt. She'd never been inside an inn before, I thought that was some Nord rite of passage or some such bollocks.

I think about my answer carefully, I don't want to tell her anything more then I want to think about. Cyrodiil holds a lot of pain but the truth is so does Skyrim and Hammerfell. I remember Nazir finding me in the brothel one night, shouting at me about how tragedy will always follow me. I left not too long after that and now I'm here, the only difference this time is I don't care if Serana lives or dies, not like Alisanne and certainly not like Astrid.

"Warmer than here." I grumble. That's the best way, always has been always will be. It's not really much of an answer at least to what she was asking or maybe I'm assuming too much about her intensions. I turn to look at her, she's watching me. I wasn't reading too much into the question. "Better than here." I add, giving her more to think about.

She continues staring at me, not looking away. It's me who breaks eye contact first, looking away and towards the priest. "Why did you leave?" She asks.

I stare at the priest, I can feel her eyes staring at me. Burning holes in me, demanding an answer. "No choice." I grumble in response. The war was spreading fast and I didn't want to wait and die, not like the others who hid in the sanctuary and just sat, waiting for their end to descend on them. I tried to take action. At least I tried.

She doesn't ask any more questions about Cyrodiil. At least she's bright enough to cotton on that when you say you had no choice then it's not a subject you want to talk about. At least I hope she is. There's a long silence, I've been sat in silence for a while now. I suppose I never really left Cyrodiil, I did but I'll always be there. Really by now I should be able to talk about it, maybe Nazir was right tragedy will always follow me.

I remember that well enough, I remember most things well enough, whether or not I learn from them is a different story but at least I remember them. I remember all of them the blood covered sand in Hammerfell, the burning streets of Bravil, the taste of my own dagger as the steel cut through my stomach. I remember being surprised at every little detail I uncovered as I cut my way through the Thalmor ranks, though if I was completely honest with myself it was only because I was too ignorant to look any further then the immediate threat in front of me.

"I grew up in Hammerfell." I mumble, looking down at the floor. "Left for Cyrodiil when I was fifteen." I grumble, looking at her. "That's all you need to know." I tell her, she nods slightly. That should stop some questions for a while, no doubt I'll get the questions about my family, why I left Hammerfell why I left Cyrodiil but for now that should keep them at bay.

We stare at each other for a few minutes. She wants to ask more I know she does, I would to. If she does she won't get any answers at least not the one's she wants. Our staring is abruptly interrupted by a cough and small groan as the Moth Priest finally wakes up. I push myself to my feet and the man gets on to his hands and knees.

I grab the top of his arm and pull him up, he grabs my forearm to steady himself. "Sorry about hitting you." Serana calls to him, he looks up squinting slightly. "It had to be done, I hope you know that."

"No, no." He groans, his voice is soft and he speaks in a quiet, respectful tone. "It's… quite alright." He finishes, dusting himself off as he sways on his feet slightly so I keep my hand on his back to try and steady him. "I believe I owe the two of you a debt for the timely rescue." He says looking at Serana. "My name is Dexion Evicus. I'm a Moth Priest of the White-Gold Tower." He tells us. "These…" He looks around slightly. "Vampires claimed they had some purpose for me, they didn't say what." He looks back at me. "Probably hoping to ransom me." He mumbles. "Fools."

"We know why they needed you." Serana announces, pushing herself up the wall, visibly trying to keep weight off of her injured leg. "We need you for the same purpose." She adds, leaning against the wall she flinches as she puts the slightest bit of weight on her leg. "We're working with the Dawnguard, we need you to read an Elder Scroll." She tells him.

He looks sceptical. "You have an Elder Scroll?" His mouth pulls into a grin when he sees that she's serious. "Remarkable!" He announces happily, he starts to walk towards her but my hand on his shoulder stops him. "Just tell me where to head."

"Fort Dawnguard." I answer, walking to the side slightly. Dexion looks at me. "Near Riften." I grumble walking over to Serana. "Get the guards to take you." I add, coming to a stop near her.

Dexion nods to himself. "Very well, I will inquire at the Dragon bridge guard post for an escort." He mumbles, walking over to the archway. "I hope the two of you have a safe journey." He tells us as he stands next to the stone archway.

"You to Dexion." Serana calls to him. "Don't trust anyone but the guards." She adds, he nods his agreement and quickly leaves. "Will he be safe with the guards?" She asks pushing against the wall to try and stand properly.

"They serve the Empire." I tell her, I offer her my arm and she gratefully takes it, putting her arm around my shoulders as I hook mine around her waist and help her walk. "Moth Priests are high up, that should encourage them to do as he says." We start to move for the exit, slowly. "We'll head back to the inn, you can rest up." I tell her she nods, the motion shaking her body slightly.

We pass by the partial wall and the dead death hound and I quickly stop to collect my bow. The bodies in the water have caused the stream to turn a dull red, or at least it looks dull in the dim light of the cave. We'll get back to the inn and rest up. Heal her leg.

I push my shoulder into the inn door to open it, quickly barging in with Serana in tow. The landlord stops what he's doing to watch us as do a few of the patrons. We start to walk through the inn, Serana surprisingly light footed or at least in contrast to the heavy thud of my boots. I stop by a wall and Serana lets go of my shoulder, leaning against the wall.

I walk over to the bar, just as loud as before. Most of everyone in here is drunk, that's good. I reach the bar and lean against it. "Oi!" I shout to the landlord, he turns around to look at me and then quickly comes over. "Room, two beds." I mumble, getting my coin out. "How much?"

"Ten septims." He tells me, not missing a beat. I put the coins on the bar and look around slightly. "Pick any room you want." He says, I look back at him. "They're all empty tonight."

I nod, looking over the crowd. "Cheers." I mumble walking back over to Serana. I help her get into one of the rooms, the one closest to her. I sit down on one of the beds and she does the same. "How's your leg?" I ask her gruffly, looking towards the open door.

"Painful." She replies. "When do we do it?" She asks following my gaze. Must be hurting if she wants to get it done this quick.

I stand back up and lean against the door frame. "We'll wait till one of them strays too close." I grumble to her. "Landlords otherwise occupied." I tell her, watching him eye up one of the more drunk and scantily clad Nord women. I glance back at Serana, sat there rubbing the wound.

One of the very drunk Nords starts to stray close to the door, stepping slightly out of the room I check no one's watching. They aren't. I grab him from behind, putting my hand over his mouth. I quickly drag him back into the room, Serana closes the door and I throw him back into the wall onto the bed I was sat on. He tries to get back up but I quickly end his struggling with my dagger in his stomach. He gasps and slumps back.

Serana struggles to get over with her leg but as soon as she does she sinks her teeth into his neck. I put my dagger away and sit down on the bed she was on, leaning my back against the wall. She pulls back slightly, looking at me with blood running down her chin. "I can taste the mead in his blood." She tells me. I grin slightly and she goes back to her feeding. At least he died with a good drink in him.

I lift my feet up, propping them up on the small table between the two beds. "I'll get rid of the body in the early hours." I tell her she doesn't respond just keeps feeding. "Dump the body near the river." She pulls away from the body, wiping the back of her hand against her mouth getting rid of the blood. There's a loud banging from the inn's main room, lots of shouting. I stand up, dropping my bow and arrow on the way to the door. "Wait here." I tell her, putting my hand on my swords hilt. I open the door slightly, only a crack.

It's pushed back into me hard, making me stumble away. A man runs in, a pale man with black hair, red eyes. I draw my sword just in time for him to swing his own down into its blade. I fall back onto the small table, Serana ducks back as the vampire swings his sword down at me again. I block the attack and kick him away getting up while I have the chance. I charge him, clashing our swords together. He hits me knocking my back into the wall hard. I groan as he goes if for the kill again, only just managing to stop his sword from blinding me I push away from the wall throwing us both out of the doorway and onto the floor.

He lands on his back, me on top. I ready to finish him off but a boot in my ribs throws me off and onto the floor. I roll to the side as a heavy steel mace slams into the floor, snapping the wooden boards. I quickly scramble to my feet, just in time to move away from the mace, the solid steel head only just misses my face and I use my left arm to push the second vampire's arms to the side using the momentum of the swing to throw him off balance. He turns away from me slightly and I kick the front of his ankles out from under him making him fall face first into the floor.

The first vampire gets to his feet another one comes into view and the second gets back to his feet. Serana comes out of the room, drawing her knife. They turn to look at her, her leg seems to be better now. She readies her knife and a spell in her left hand. Now the fights a bit more fair sided. The people still inside the inn watch on not offering any help.

The first vampire takes a step forward as does the second, the third one turns to Serana. I draw my dagger and stare down the two vampires. "Serana!" I shout to her catching her attention, I throw the dagger to her and the first vampire goes into swing his sword. I block the attack to my left and before I know it I'm switching sides to engage the mace on my right side. I hear the clash of steel from Serana and the third vampire.

The sword comes back in quickly and I lift my gauntlet up to evade the attack, the blade slicing the leather cleanly but the steel studs stop the blade from cutting into my arm and the thick leather manages to absorb most of the power. My arm still gives way and I struggle to keep the sword at bay, having to retreat from the mace as the vampire swings that at me again.

There's a loud crash and I see Serana get thrown onto a table, the vampire rushes at her trying to stab down with the sword but she moves away letting the sword slam into the table. I move away, blocking the mace and then quickly swinging my sword at the first vampire. I reach behind me and grab a glass bottle I swing it into the face of the second vampire, shattering the glass and cutting his face.

The first one slashes again and hit his arm back to the side quickly following it up by hitting him in the nose with the bottom of my swords hilt. He stumbles slightly and I wrap my arm around his neck, the mace is swung at me again and I duck down, letting it slam into the vampire's face. It smashes the bone and rips away the skin, leaving just the exposed muscle and bone. He drops down to the floor and I kick the other vampire hard in the stomach.

I see the third vampire get flipped onto his back and then Serana plunges both her knife and my dagger into his chest, turning him to dust. The vampire swings the mace again and I'm forced back into a table struggling to keep the mace away from my face as the vampire leans most of his weight against me and my sword. Serana comes up behind him, slamming my dagger into his shoulder and then putting her hands on his head and twisting sharply. There's a sickening dry crack and the vampire falls on the ground.

I push myself off the table and Serana crouches down stabbing her knife into the vampire's temple turning him to dust. I walk over to the first vampire he's on the floor, half of his face missing. I crouch down. He coughs loudly, dark blood coming up with it. "We were told it was just lady Serana." He gasps loudly. Serana hears him and walks over.

She stands over the dying vampire who's just sat there clawing at what's left of his face. "He lied." She snarls and I finish the vampire off, pushing my sword into his neck almost completely decapitating him before he turns to dust.

I stand up, looking around at the small crowd watching us. Serana passes me my dagger and I take it back without looking. "We should leave." I whisper to her, I start walking over to the room grabbing my bow and quiver of arrow. "Now." I call over to her in the silent room, she nods and walks over a slight rush to her steps.

We leave the inn quickly, walking away from the small village before someone goes and gets the few guards that will be left in the post. "My father is getting desperate." Serana tells me as we walk down the road. "If he's sending men to kill us then he either sees us as a threat or his need for that scroll is getting more desperate."

I nod to myself. "Doesn't matter." I grumble to her. "Anymore come and they'll fall just the same." I tell her, she nods not saying anything as we walk into the forest. It does matter, those vampires could have easily killed us if Serana's leg had still been injured we got lucky this time, next time might be different, there might be more of them next time.

The first few rays of light shine brightly over the horizon, making us pick up our pace. We'll find a cave or a shack. There has to be one.