Chapter Sixteen

"Maybe we should split up." The four traveling women glanced at the one who'd spoken, Iona bracing herself for criticism. "I mean we have three weeks, we need to move fast and going at this one at a time will risk too much if you ask me."

"But we hardly survived a fight with that vampire, and that was with all four of us," argued Mjoll. "How are only two of us going to combat it?"

"With lots and lots of fire," Siulon suddenly put in, the dunmer having returned to her seat. Though the companions had moved away from her to discuss their plan of action more in private, it seemingly hadn't been enough for the mage to be unable to hear them.

Turning back to her once more, they returned to asking for aid. "What with torches?" Lydia spoke up.

"I suppose, but you'll need more than that," Siulon replied, "They're not some dumb beast that can be scared away at the flicker of a flame, they're intelligent and clever."

"So perhaps we should enlist the aid of a mage," suggested Iona.

"No!" Instantly Siulon shot them down, scowling. "I know exactly what mages have come to mind and those apprentices are off-limits. This is your foolhardy quest, not theirs."

"We weren't-"

"Yes, you were," Siulon cut Iona off. "And the answer is no. No matter what, the young apprentices must be left out of this. I don't care how much you lot get along, this is far too dangerous." A heavy silence fell upon the women and the mer, waiting as if a plan or solution would spring to mind. Siulon's arms were crossed as she sat there listening, a strange concentration on her ashen and marred face. Vex waited a little bit longer, trying to find a solution to where they could find a mage that at least one of them would trust to accompany them. She'd almost want to ask Siulon, but easily she could tell how quickly that would get rejected. They were lucky enough they'd gotten as much help as they had, considering the mage could have just pretended she was deaf in addition to being blind.

Suddenly Lydia was bursting with excitement, as if she'd been struck with an epiphany, hopping from one foot to another with energy. "Wait a moment," she said, "what about scrolls?"

Brows knitted across the faces of the nords and imperial, while instead a left and slightly singed brow rose on the mer's expression. "Scrolls?" Siulon asked skeptically. "Do any of you even know how to properly use one of them? Scrolls might be ways for those who aren't magically inclined as well as those who are to use magicka in more portable and convenient forms, but they still require knowledge and skill to use properly. Otherwise you're more likely to blow yourself up than your enemy."

They shared glances amongst themselves, Lydia suddenly feeling foolish for having forgotten such a key aspect, the redhead cast her gaze to the floor. Siulon pinched her nose, thinking, and then flicked a wrist. "There might be some scrolls that even non-mages like you could use, though I can't promise they'll be free. We have a stash of them here, low level destruction spells that should work." Siulon dropped her hand with a sigh, "Speak with Enthir, a bosmer mage here at the College. He might be in the Hall of Attainment."

Recognition flashed in amber eyes, and Vex tilted her head to the side with a thought. "Thank you Siulon, for all your help," she said, and then walked away towards the stairs that would take her back to the main level of the building.. The others looked at her, a bit confused, but followed after with words of gratitude of their own.

As the party of women left, Siulon blindly blinked after them, listening to their departure. "Best of luck," she whispered after them before feeling about the table for the book she had been reading when they'd come along. A frown came across her face, as a thought struck her as she ran her fingers along the cover of the tome. "Blast, I've lost the page."

Footsteps from the group of women echoed off the stone brick walls as they descended the stairwell. Silence fell among them for a little while, each of them lost in the thoughts of what they'd discovered in their journey here. The warnings the dunmer had given them were like poisonous daggers slowly slinking between their ribs. Vex couldn't decide if it was worth acknowledging them or not, if it would hurt less for her to let them kill her or to try to stop it, to fight it. She closed her eyes tightly as they left the main hall of the College, a cold rush of air swallowing them, and then opened them back up with a fresh determination across her face.

"You guys should wait out here," Vex said as they drew nearer to the Hall of Attainment. "Wouldn't want to scare the elf by arriving in full."

"Why would we do that?" Lydia asked.

"She just doesn't want us to know he's her contact," Mjoll growled, "I remember him from when you met with Karliah in the inn."

A shrug rolled off the imperial's shoulders. "Wouldn't you want to go and catch up with your mage friends before we take off anyways? We leave right away. I can get these scrolls myself, and I need to get some letters out."

Iona stopped walking, feet planted in a drift of snow that had blown onto the path that rounded the courtyard. "Wait, we need to decide something right now." The others paused and looked at her. "Are we going to split up? It's the only way I see us being able to get to these two different places fast enough to find anything out and help Yosa. If we've only got maybe three weeks, and traveling takes so much time..."

"We'll take a boat around the coast," Vex decided, "it's the fastest way. We can even take it straight into the swamp in Morthal, there's a river that leads right to it."

"Except most of the interior rivers have ice on them now, even in the low land marshes," argued Mjoll. "We still could take it along the coastline but we won't be getting inland with a boat aside from up the Karth."

"Still, we'll have to search for this Falion man, and also the West Coast," Iona said, "it's not enough time."

Lydia frowned, "But suppose we find a cure with Falion, how will we tell our other half we have it if we split? And how would those of us on the West Coast be able to say if they've found signs of Yosa or Yosa herself?"

A silence fell as they thought, knowing that they couldn't just rush something as important as this. Vex's mind was working as fast as it could, thinking of the solution to the problem presented. "We set a time limit," she decided. "Five days, from when half of us get to Morthal there are five days for the other half to search the West Coast. At the end, we all meet up in Solitude. I'll have any letters my contacts send back be directed there also so that'll be taken care of."

Mjoll frowned a bit though as she spoke next, "That sounds good and all, but who all are the two halves?"

"I'm going with Iona to Morthal," Lydia instantly said.

The thief and honor-bound vigilante both stiffened in response. "What!" Mjoll said first, "I can't be stuck with her!"

"Yeah I don't like the idea either Kitten," Vex snarled. The Lioness scowled deeply at her. "But Lydia does have one thing right, those two will work together better than they would with either of us."

Mjoll shook her head. "So what, we have one team that's grand and another that might just self-destruct?"

"Think about it," Lydia defended, "you're the best huntress I know, you'd make an excellent choice for the coast. And Vex, she knows how to hunt people down and knows more about vampires than we do, that sounds like a perfect combo to me regardless of your feelings for one another."

That wasn't enough for the golden haired nord and she shook her head again even more passionately. "Except this isn't an emotionless endeavor. Lydia how about we work together, and Vex goes with Iona to Morthal?"

The redhead spoke up at that point. "If we're facing vampire attacks in both places, you two would best off-set each other in a battle, and Lydia and I have been sparring for months now. Mjoll, you're a heavy hitting warrior, and Vex is a swift, fleet footed duelist. You'll compliment and make up for each other's faults and weaknesses in battle."

"Except you have to trust your battle partner," retorted Vex with crossed arms.

"Something neither of us do," Mjoll said with a slow drawl, as if to remind the imperial of the fact.

The housecarls shared a weary, exasperated look, before at last Lydia put her foot down. "Then this is your chance to learn how to trust each other. We're going to be facing greater challenges in the road to come, so you two need to cut the crap and start acting like adult women and not a pair of feral cats. You're going to work together, you're going to find Yosa, and you're going to like it." They stared at her, shocked or annoyed as if they couldn't believe she'd just said that.

"By Shor you've gotten bossy," Mjoll remarked.

"You have no idea..." Grumbled Vex. "Fine, we'll go to the West Coast while you two investigate Falion in Morthal, but you lot have to stay out here I'm serious." She fixed them with a hard gaze and as nods were given she snorted. "Good, now don't run off while I'm gone." With that, she started back towards the Hall of Attainment where it stood in the snowy weather, entering the tower without a glance back at them. The three nords awkwardly stood outside, uncertain what to do while they waited.

Coughing a bit as the silence continued, golden, hazel and green eyes each flicked about uncertainly. Suddenly the trio of students came out of the Hall of Attainment, laughing at some joke Onmund had seemingly made. They caught Mjoll's eye, and deciding to actually listen to Vex, she started towards them to talk. The housecarls silently watched her make her way to them, instantly getting smiles and warm welcome to join their conversation, and followed them around the courtyard to where the students were headed, the Hall of the Elements. Onmund glanced towards them, and waved for them to come and join them as well but Lydia held up a hand slightly and shook her head. He frowned softly, dropping his hand, and then followed the others inside.

Now left as just the two of them, Iona cleared her throat as she realized this was the first time they'd really been alone since this trip had started. "How... How are you feeling?" She asked, arms crossed over her chest and turning to face Lydia more.

The brunet blinked, as if she'd been stirred from her thoughts, and then shrugged. "I guess I'm doing fine. Worried, terrified really, but I'm all better from that vampire wound. Thanks, again, for the help."

Iona reached over and rested a hand comfortingly on Lydia's shoulder. "It was nothing, and we'll find her, I promise," she said, before removing her hand and crossing it back across her chest. They were silent a bit longer, and suddenly a thought jumped to the front of the redhead's mind. "What's with the nord mage?" She questioned, trying to remain calm and casual and yet her heart was starting to race in her chest.

"What?" Lydia blinked with confusion.

"Does he have a... thing for you or something?" She shifted her feet, watching the blush that was growing across Lydia's pale face. "I mean, he acts like it, and that khajiit friend of his said something earlier that... Well I mean... I just want to know."

Lydia shook her head, a bit of snow falling from brunet locks. "I mean, I guess, I'm not really sure." She scratched the back of her head nervously. "And why do you want to know?" She stared at Iona intently.

The redhead shook it off however best she could, hiding from the serious look behind a mask of calm decorum. "I'm a curious creature."

"Uh huh," Lydia slowly said, as if debating the validity of the statement. Letting it go without remark, she shrugged. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised and yet I am. I don't think I'm much of the kinda lady someone would crush over, especially not for over half year."

"Why not?"

Lydia sighed, "Not to sound like I'm self-conscious, but I'm not the most beautiful woman around." Iona's gaze swept up her at the statement, a frown tugging at her lips seeming to say she disagreed but wasn't certain how to voice it. "Besides, we didn't talk too much in my stay here previously, just really had a fun snowball fight. Little much else to stick around for, don't see why he's still all smitten with me."

"Looks aren't all that matter though," Iona replied. Hazel eyes looked up at her, Lydia silently beckoning her on. Suddenly feeling flustered, Iona swallowed dryly before she continued. "I mean, you've got a warrior's spirit after all, any nord even a mage would find that attractive."

A frown came to Lydia's face though, and Iona grew worried swiftly. "Do you have something against mages Iona?'

Eyes widening, Iona shook her head. "What? No of course not, I just meant that even though he isn't one for battle himself he'd still like that about you. It's that proud nord spirit of ours. We like the strong and the brave, and those who are so headstrong not even an immortal monster can stop them."

A moment passed. "Well you've got one as well," Lydia said, gesturing to the redhead's chest, "a warrior spirit. A unique one too."

Chuckling a bit nervously, Iona shrugged. "I don't know about that."

"What?" Lydia frowned, turning to look at her with a curious glance. "I've seen you in battle Iona, you're unlike any other. You've taken on foes twice your size and come out on top with hardly so much as a scratch on you. Do you remember that bandit group we'd come across on a hunt? I certainly can recall how you took down that chief with a few well timed strikes and a parry of his sword with your shield." The answer was a nod.

Nervously, Iona glanced about them, assuring herself that they were alone, and grasped Lydia by the shoulder and took her to the side of the courtyard where they could hide in a corner of the stonework besides the Hall of the Elements. Once they were shrouded well in a misty haze of the shadows, Iona looked up at her, Lydia just a hint taller than she, and held up her right hand palm up. "Well you see, I'm not exactly... A warrior per say."

"What are you talking about?" Lydia pressed.

Iona bit her cheek on the inside, a hot flash burning up her body when she glanced at Lydia. Pushing an image away from her mind, and instead concentrating on her hand, Iona began to tap into something raw and burning within. Suddenly a flicker of orange magic was in her palm, hovering about an inch above her skin, burning and dying out in a breath. The brunet sucked in a breath of air, watching as the small flash of light returned in a stronger form, flickering and writhing like a sporadic heartbeat. Iona's heart was racing in her chest, and she could hardly keep her thoughts in order as she revealed this part of herself to her dear friend. She let the fire burn above her hand for a few moment moments, and then extinguished it with a thought and the closing of her hand.

When she looked up at Lydia, she saw eyes as wide as moons. "You're a mage!" Exclaimed Lydia.

Instantly she felt that same biting feeling in her gut that had told her not to even do it. "Not really," she swiftly said, "I've never really practiced it." She suddenly felt that fear grow inside of her and she had to ask herself why she'd just done that. What sudden notion had possessed her to reveal herself?

A frown was on Lydia's face in response, but not one that condemned the secret mage but rather was puzzled by her. "Why not?"

Iona sighed a bit, a blush on her face. She wasn't certain why she was sharing this with Lydia, especially why not now, but everything about the nord made her trust her. If ever there was a person she could tell her secret to, and trust it not be shared, Lydia was the one. Her cheeks were burning as she spoke. "Well most nords don't really like magic and mages, especially after what happened here in Winterhold. My father was one such nord." She tried to make it sound casual but it only came out awkward and like some pathetic excuse.

"Oh," quietly said Lydia.

"Yes, oh. He forbid me from ever practicing it, and I was terrified by it too so I just never did."

"But why even after you became an adult did you never learn? Being a mage, it's not something everybody can do, so why still reject it?" Lydia asked. "I think it's kinda cool, actually." Iona tucked her head, fear rising up her with a swell of embarrassment. She wrapped her arms around herself, and closed her eyes for a moment. Lydia patiently waited for a response.

Clearing her throat, Iona nodded her head with her words as she began. "Do you remember that guard? My brother?"

"Yes," Lydia nodded.

"Well he and I got into some trouble as kids once, snuck into the tavern and wanted to see if there were any rats in the cellar." Green eyes misted with memory. "We planned on killing them, and then asking for payment afterwards from the owners. That pair of imperials before the argonians bought the place years later. Well, while we were down there, a skeever came out and attacked me. I screamed and rose my hands to protect my face, only a moment later fire engulfed the vermin and it disgustingly melted in front of me."

There was pause from the housecarl from Whiterun. "That sounds... rather disturbing for a young girl to witness."

With a shudder either for emphasis or at the fact of the memory, Iona nodded her head. "Well you can imagine how upset my father was on top of the trouble we got into for being where we shouldn't. When Luca told him that I'd set fire to a rat though, he about lost it. My father said that a true nord doesn't practice magic, that they're gifts from the daedra to trick the minds of the weak and that only a coward would accept their deals."

"No offense," Lydia said, "but your father sounds like a closed-minded jerk."

"No, he really was." With a sigh, she continued. "Either way, I never practiced, so now as an adult I'm too ashamed of my mediocre level of skill. I was too scared to try as a kid and now I have to deal with that. And... well having magic just never seemed like something to proudly wear on my sleeve for all to see like these here apprentices and elder mages do..."

Looking at the redhead in the silent cold, Lydia's lips drew into a long, thoughtful line. "So... Why are you telling me? If you don't really plan on using your other set of skills?"

"I would't call them skills," Iona said swiftly, "and I'm not entirely sure. It's just, if we're going into a vampire pit, then we'll need something to make up for our lesser numbers. We might make a great team but I don't know if I can risk holding back. Plus if I just started blasting off fire from my hands, you'd have probably freaked out wouldn't you?"

Lydia chuckled, "I probably would have, yeah. I did with Yosa."

Smiling with a bit of confidence, though it soon wavered, Iona added, "And I trust you. The only people besides you who know about my... abilities are my family, and the old inn-keepers who have since passed on."

Lydia's expression dropped a bit, suddenly realizing just how important this was to the redheaded housecarl. "I see," she dipped her head a bit. "Well I'm honored you trust me with such a secret." She wanted to reach out and hold one of Iona's hands, especially with how close they'd been standing to one another, and had to remind herself that her friend didn't want to see how things would go. It hurt to remember, to force the rising desires to the side behind her friendship she'd agreed to. It suddenly felt like she wore chains on her heart, weighing her down to the center of the world, keeping her from pursuing the fiery soul in front of her.

The weight grew heavier as Iona seemed to grow comfortable again, and gave her a radiant smile that stole the brunet's breath. She painfully returned the gesture, and then Iona pulled her in for a hug that burned with mockery. Lydia wrapped her arms around her, holding the other woman as long as she could before it would drift into a more romantic type, and when they separated and Iona seemed as happy as she could, Lydia swallowed dryly and gave an awkward laugh. "Just don't torch my arse in the middle of a fight okay?"

Iona burst into a bout of hearty laughter, "Only if you've stolen one of my kills eh?" She jested, giving her friend a swat on the shoulder. Lydia shook her head with an amused roll of her eyes.

"There you two are!" Suddenly Vex's voice came from their side, and they remembered where they were. They turned to look at where the imperial seemed to stand as if a ghost, neither of them having heard her approach even in the snow that crunched underfoot. "Come on, it's time to get moving. I've got letters on their ways, and scrolls- where in Oblivion is Mjoll?" Her amber eyes swept between them. "And what were you two doing?"

"Nothing," they chirped in unison, and Vex narrowed her eyes suspiciously at them.

"Right..."

"Mjoll was chatting with the apprentices in the Hall of the Elements, probably still there," said Lydia after a beat.

Vex scowled. "What about these young mages enraptures her attention!" She hissed as she wheeled around and marched to the large building in the College. The housecarls shared glances, stifled laughs just barely escaping them, and then followed after her. The newly revealed mage walked a bit closer to the brunet warrior as they pursued the muttering imperial thief.

Fire blazed in a stone pit, wood crackling in the snowy midnight hour as an assembly of armored warriors watched it. There was a grave, freshly filled, and decorated with a variety of items. A crossbow and hammer rested at the head, while a suit of Dawnguard armor ran along it down with a singular name carved into the stone head at the top.

Durak.

Isran cleared his throat, staring at the empty grave. "As well all know, it has been one week since Durak left with the prisoner Yosa'Min to Dimhallow Crypt. The scouts I sent came back this morning... We've lost a brother. It pains me to say it, but we must honor our fallen comrade the way he would like to be honored. Mogrul," an aged orc mer looked up at his leader at being called out, "would you like to say a few words?"

With a nod, Mogrul came froward and stared at the grave that was adorned with items to represent their lost friend. "We all know the kind of mer Durak was," he said with a soft bellow in his voice. The stone faced Dawnguard listened as he spoke, the howl of the wind that whirled snow about them ignored as sets of eyes burned into the ground. "He was honest, loyal, a true friend you knew had your back. Nothing matter more to him than doing what was right, for setting the score and evening the playing field. Durak joined the Dawnguard to avenge his lost wives, and one cannot blame him for it either. But now, we've lost him too, and no one can avenge his wives' lives."

"Orcs come from Malacath, and Malacath smiles down upon good deaths in battle," Mogrul finished. "It doesn't take much to know our brother put up a fight before his time came. May he pass on in peace." With that, he stepped back.

Waiting for a few moments, the grieving silence that weighed heavy on the hearts of the Dawnguard only growing with time, Isran spoke once more. "Durak was a loyal Dawnguard soldier, and it was either the vampires, or the Dragonborn, that took him from us. From this day forward, the redguard known as Yosa'Min, is an enemy of the Dawnguard. The imperial known as Vex, is an enemy of the Dawnguard. They are not our priority, the vampires remain that, but if anyone sees, hears, anything, of these two women then they are to tell me. We will find out what has happened to Durak, to our brother, and when we do we will punish his killer severely."

The Dawnguard cheered, loudly, a chorus of voices rising above the crackling fire that cast their faces in a pale orange glow. Isran glimmered like a dark shadow as he faced them, silhouetted against the flames. "We will find his killer, and we will punish them!" The cheers grew louder, working into a frenzy. "We will not let this injustice go left unchecked!" The warriors were near to a rabid state. Isran watched them, the rows of somber Dawnguard having been replaced with angry, furious vampire hunters. He nodded his head, level and calm as always, "Now go, and keep Durak in your heart. You do this now not only for the people of Tamriel, and our duty, you do it for your fallen brother."

They nodded their heads, bobbing like good soldiers as they were dismissed, and began to return down the path to Fort Dawnguard. Isran narrowed his eyes as they passed him, and spoke up, "Not you, Syldus." A bosmer paused, turned to the redguard leader with hardened brown eyes. "I need to speak with you."

Syldus approached him, stopping about a pace or two away. Pale brown hair fell in a mess of tumbled locks to the middle of his neck, curling around pointed ears and a sharp featured face speckled with freckles. "Yes Isran?" He asked as he gazed at the bearded redguard man.

"How good are you at sneaking?"

He hesitated. "Is this a serious question?"

"Of course it is boy, now answer."

"I'd dare say I'm a master Isran," he said back with a lack of any boastful tone that would be found with most other young bosmer. Syldus held himself in a manner that reminded Isran of a well trained soldier, something that generally he didn't like too much to see as there was too much formality that came with it. But in this instance, he admired it.

"And how are you with lying?"

Syldus frowned uncomfortably. "Isran, what is this about?"

The redguard gave him a serious look. "What this is about, is that I need an agent. Would you be up to it?"

"Is this about Durak?"

"And more." Isran nodded his head.

Syldus nodded his head. "Then you can count me in."

AN: Hope you enjoyed that little twist with our housecarls. Tell me what you think of the chapter, and what you think will happen in the reviews, because I'd love to hear what you think. Thanks for reading!