Chapter Twenty-Two

Falion hadn't been an easy man to find an audience with. Despite the seemingly vast unpopularity of the mage, which would make it look as if he weren't busy with anything, he'd been absent or refusing any visitors each time the pair of housecarls had tried to see him. Eventually however, they got inside his home and were instantly hit with a wall of potent scents; spices, herbs, plants and living flesh mixing in the air in a way that made them nauseous at first. The pair had been at last let in by a small little nordic girl with brunet hair. She scurried away towards a small bed in the corner, and sat down on it, opening up the book on the bedside and reading it without a word to them.

Sharing glances, they addressed the man in blue robes that was hunched over an enchanting table in the far left corner. There were various magical oddities across the single room home, shelves littered with soul gems, potion bottles and books. Animal heads were mounted on the walls, a variety of creatures and a massive and utterly impressive elk buck was above the fireplace mantel which was directly across them. Both of them doubted the mage had actually hunted any of the creatures on his walls however.

"Are you Falion?" Iona inquired.

"Well you've already entered my home," he replied, half turning to them. "I'd hope you'd know who I was."

"Just checking," said Lydia with a hint of embarrassment.

"What brings you here? I have many things to be doing so please make it swift." The redguard man turned around entirely now to face them, age pulling at the corners of his dark eyes yet he didn't seem much older than his sister.

They glanced at the child in the corner, but she seemed so absorbed in the tome that she was reading they felt a bit more comfortable to speak. Walking a bit closer, Lydia spoke first. "We were told by a dunmer named Siulon that you're an expert on vampires, specifically curing them."

He smiled ever so faintly. "That old elf is still kicking?" He laughed, shaking his head. "Siulon isn't wrong about me, yes, I'm well versed in those of the supernatural including vampires. I have studied things beyond the realm of possibility for men and mer alike. I have walked the Oblivion Planes and returned without a hint of madness. I have conversed with beings beyond your understanding, with daedra and dwemer alike." His boasting was surprisingly short but nonetheless the pair of women thought a bit lesser of him. He turned his brown gaze upon them. "But why have you come to me with this? You lack any signs of even enthrallment."

Lydia frowned, brow knitting. "You can tell when someone is enthralled?"

"It's not the most obvious thing if you don't know what you're looking for, but it's still there," he said. Falion waved a hand slightly, as if to say for them to hurry up and speak.

"Our thane has been turned into one of these monsters," Iona explained, "and we seek a way to reverse the change."

Falion frowned, this was truly serious. "Is she hiding in a den somewhere?" He asked, noting that such a person was absent. "How old is she?"

"You mean how long she's been a vampire?" He nodded. "She was turned perhaps a little over a week ago now."

"Perhaps?"

"We... We're not certain. We weren't there."

He lowered his head a bit with a forming scowl, shadows cast upon what bit of his face was visible under the blue hood. "Is this vampire not even in the marsh waiting to be returned to the mortal world?" They shifted their feet nervously. "I do not have the time for idle thoughts then!" He huffed, arms crossing. "There are rumors running about and right now I do not have the patience to indulge in this. If she is here, then I will help you for a price, if not then leave."

"Wait!" Lydia said, practically jumping forward. The girl had looked up from her book at that point. "No, our thane is not with us, but we will have her in time. Let us perform a favor or the sorts for you now, and when we have her here then please save her. If we fail in bringing her here, then you'll have lost nothing." He seemed interested, and so she continued to speak to the blue dressed redguard. "Whatever it is that you're having to deal with, that is distracting you from your studies, then allow us to handle it if we can. You don't even have to tell us how you'll turn her back to the living until then if you do not wish."

With a long moment of silence passing between them, the housecarls were terrified that he would reject them still entirely. "Fine." Lydia let out a breath of relief she didn't know she'd been holding. "There are many people pointing fingers at me for many things, child eating and sacrifice being chief among them. But now, a home has burned down and a wife and daughter were killed," he said. "While no one has yet to blame me for their deaths, I can hear the whispers already starting. I want you to find out what happened and prove I had nothing to do with it."

"What do you think was the cause?"

"The husband, Hroggar, claims his wife spilled bear fat on the fire. His daughter and wife burned to death and no one could stop it," he shrugged as if the connection were obvious as he continued, "You'd imagine Hroggar would be broken up about his, only he moved in with another woman the day after their deaths. Alva her name is I believe."

Lydia's expression dropped. "Why do you think people will blame you for this?"

"Because they already fear me," he said, "and I doubt it would take one long to claim I'd warped his mind or something of the sort. Do this, find out the truth, and I will cure your thane."

Instantly Iona was replying, "Agreed."

"Good," Falion said with a curling smile before it was wiped away. "Now be off, you haven't much time before you thane is lost to your forever, and neither do I before the town turns against me," he urged them to leave. The pair nodded their heads and swiftly departed back outside into the near dark Skyrim hold. Ragged thick clouds hung over the sky, the moons winning the struggle with the sun and chasing it across the horizon where it hid in fear of the massive celestial body and its companion. Lydia's gaze followed the vanishing ball of light, smiling faintly as she found it more and more beautiful. She snuck a glance at her fellow housecarl, and had to force herself not to remark about it to Iona who seemed more than focused on the task at hand.

They soon found the ruins of a burned home on the west side of town, just past the inn and around the curving river in the center. The charred wood pillars were still standing tall while the entire thatched roof and upper support beams were gone, burned up in a mighty blaze. There was a lonely fireplace in the center of the skeleton, burned black from the inside out. There was no one keeping the pair from entering, but a chilling sensation ran up their spines just by looking at it, making them almost want to turn around and run. The sounds of a fire burning a screaming mother and child filled their ears, crackling and shrieking as if it were happening right then. Lydia shuddered, and looked at her companion with a slightly nervous smile. "Spooky huh?" She asked.

"Yeah..." Said Iona as they went inside through the open door frame. She sniffed about, the ashen scent of fire was still clinging to the wood, but no bodies littered the floor like she'd almost been expecting. Holes in the walls opened the place up for others to slip in through, planks missing the floor and a fresh wash of snow covered what would have otherwise been blackened wood. "But I guess it isn't so bad," she said with rising optimism. Mage she may be, she didn't fancy the idea of ghosts.

"Father?" A childish voice suddenly called.

"Divines!" Iona yelped, jumping away from the ghostly voice that came from behind her, spinning about wildly with a hand reaching for her hip where her blade rested. Lydia wheeled about just as fast and found the source. Hovering in the corner was a shimmering outline of a child, white light radiating from the chest and head while the feet seemed to vanish into Oblivion. Iona stared with awe as the small spirit waited for them to do something and answer them, humming now where it floated slightly above the ground.

"Where's father?" The ghost girl repeated, tilting her head a bit. "Do you know where he is?"

Lydia cleared her throat slightly, and shook her head. "Is your father Hroggar?"

"Yes that's him!" The ghost gave a smile, wicked looking with the translucency of her form. "I don't know where is is though and I'm lonely... Do you know where father is? I haven't seen him in a while." Hollow eyes stared at them, striking several cords within the women. "I'm not supposed to talk to strangers but I can't find him, could you please help me? My name is Helgi."

"Yes we'll help you Helgi," Lydia said swiftly, stepping towards the child. "What happened? What do you remember?" Iona watched the way the brunet tenderly moved, sympathy radiating off the warrior in a way she'd never really seen. Something akin to admiration rose in the Riften housecarl and she managed to step forward also, smiling softly. It was weird to think of comforting a ghost, but gazing into the child's eyes struck quite a cord with her. This was the spirit of an innocent kid, killed for one reason or another, lost in the void between worlds. It seemed so very sad to her.

Helgi looked at them, and nodded her head. "There was a lot of smoke, so much I woke up. Momma said something but I don't remember because all I could hear was the fire and it was so hot! I didn't know fire could be so hot!" Her arms wrapped around herself, head lowering in recollection. The little spirit shuddered heavily. "I tried to get outside but I couldn't, and then it got really cold. I couldn't feel the fire anymore and I wasn't so afraid." Lydia's heart cried out in protest at the tale, enraged at the acts of the murderer whoever they may be. She was very determined to find out who was the reason for all this. "But now I don't know where father is and I'm so lonely. Mother isn't here either. I just want someone to... play."

"Do you want to play a game?" Lydia cooed gently. "We would love to if it would make you happy." Iona mutely nodded her head, going along.

The spirit brightened, looking up with another wickedly translucent smile. "You would! Oh that's wonderful! We need to wait until it's all dark though, my other friend can't play until then."

Alarm ran up Iona's body. "Who's this other one that cannot play until then exactly?"

"I can't tell you," the spirit child said with a shake of her head, "She might hear, she's not far! She'd be angry with me."

"Little one, it's okay to tell us we just want to help you," cooed Lydia.

There however was no convincing her, and the child stomped a foot. "Play fair!" She said, "You'll just have to wait until it's all dark to meet her!"

Sighing, she nodded her head. "Okay, sorry. What shall we play?"

"Hide and seek," the spirit said and then vanished into the air.

Lydia and Iona stared where it had been, and then glanced at one another with mystified expressions. "I've never actually seen a ghost before," said Iona first.

"If we ever get Yosa'Min to go exploring with us again, you'll see plenty. She has an unhealthy interest in the places you'll find them in."

"Well then, let's find us a ghost so we can find a vampire," said Iona. She gave a moment of pause and laughed, "I never thought my life would be filled with so many supernaturals."

"Aye, me neither," replied Lydia, "but then I met a woman with the soul of a dragon."

"I suppose that does change some things," agreed Iona, looking back around at the terribly damaged home. "We've got perhaps a half hour until it's totally dark, do you think it could hurt to start looking? I think we're supposed to find her... coffin."

The brunet nord ran a hand through her hair and sighed. "Let's go, I'm worried this 'other' person is a vampire. With everything going on I wouldn't be surprised."

Iona gave a nod in agreement. "Where should we start? Those hills behind the town look more likely to hold coffins than the marsh." She pointed behind the house to the southwest, Lydia's gaze following. It was nothing but snowy hills laden with grey rocks that rose in steep slopes or sheer cliffs. There were some trees that shot upwards and pierced the sky. "Think we should search there?"

"I don't think she's far," replied Lydia, "not if the 'other' is close enough to give her worry. We must be swift, I don't want her to beat us to the coffin." Iona nodded her head, and the pair started the trek up the snowy hill.

As they moved, the sky nearly black as the cloud blanket thickened and the sun was slipping into the last stages of its daily departure, Iona glanced at Lydia. She found her gaze lingering on the brunet's face, calm and determined. "You know you were really sweet to that girl," she said.

Lydia shrugged simply, "I feel bad for what happened to her. If what they say is true and the father killed his family to be free for that other woman then he is a monster. I don't like the idea of children dying, it's never right."

They'd come up to the top of an outcropping, capable of looking down at the village through the trees that rose skywards. The thatch roofs were laden with thick snow to the point neither woman could really see the yellow beneath. Iona could see the lumber mill across the river and the burned ruins of Helgi's home down below. Lydia gazed out into the marsh, hoping to spot something in the dim lighting. Crickets and frogs chattered away in the marsh, surprising amounts of noise in the night. Iona frowned with thought. "I know it's just-"

"Over there!" Lydia cut her off, pointing a bit to where they'd already passed. Nestled between the rocks of the hills was a snowy area with four rock spires that were about the height of a person. There was a dug up grave in the center, a hunched form digging with a shovel besides it. "We're too late..." She said softly.

"Come on!" Iona drew her blade and rushed down over the snow slicked rocks. Lydia drew hers and pursued just as fast.

Glowing eyes rose to them, striking the pair and freezing them in place. A twisted cackle filled the air and the creature dropped the shovel into the hole, glittering fangs caught the faintest traces of light. "Oh what a wondrous gift my little Helgi has brought me," she purred. A moment later the vampire surged forward with a swell of darkness, and Lydia felt claws warp around her throat. She gasped in pain, the unnatural strength of the vampire's grip crushing her throat. A sick sound filled the air as Iona drove her blade into the creature's flank, the vampire jumping backwards in another swell and clutching her side. "Insolent curs!" She spat.

"It's not as strong as the last one," said Iona, helping Lydia up to her feet from where she'd stumbled. "We can handle this." Lydia gave a mute nod, her voice lost to her for the time being. The night was already dark, and yet wherever the monster stood it seemed as if a curtain of black had descended, glowing eyes piercing outwards that could easily make out every detail of the pair while they struggled to see the owner. "Come on then, show us what you got bat!" She taunted, dropping her shield and shouting loudly at the creature who gave a hiss in return and surged forward once more. The moment the vampire had drawn near enough, moving with startling speed, Iona lifted her freed hand, and a torrent of flame sprung to life to engulf its face.

The vampire dashed away, shrieking in pain and wildly attempting to put out the magical fire. It flung itself into the snow, rolling about like a mad dog until the licking orange light was gone. It rose to its feet, soft white skin mutilated and marred black or bubbling, utterly seething. "Nice!" Croaked Lydia in appraisal, rushing it before it had a chance to truly recollect itself. The creature, so vaguely feminine now that neither housecarl saw it as such, rose hands that swelled with magic of its own. Iona was panting heavily from the spell but gathered her strength to charge it with her shield returned to her hand. Lydia swung her blade out in a tight arc, but it dodged to the side and a stream of reddish light came from its hands. The brunet cringed, feeling her energy sapping from her the longer the tendrils of now magenta light swirled about her.

Iona cried out as she closed in on the vampire, and brought her own sword down on its arm, slicing it clean off through its pathetic armor. It cried out in agony, and turned on the redhead with one arm reaching out to slice at her face. Before it had a chance to even graze the nord's pale skin however, Lydia drove her blade between its ribs, and it let out a terrible shriek before slumping over. The pair were panting hard, staring at it as if they expected the undead creature of the night to rise once more but it did not move. "Phew..." Breathed Iona, hands on her knees as she struggled to catch her breath. The effects of casting such a powerful spell for a mage of her level taxing on her swiftly.

Patting her companion on the back, Lydia smiled. "Good job, see, using spells can be pretty effective."

"Perhaps... In this situation..." Agreed Iona with a few more short breaths.

Before either of them had moved, the spirit of the child appeared before them, standing a step or two away from her grave and staring at them with a smile. "You found me!" She exclaimed, "Oh I'm so happy! Laelette wouldn't have been any fun but you two were!" Iona couldn't help but wonder if the ghost meant she'd enjoyed the graphic battle. "She's the one that burned my home you know? I didn't know back then but I found out... later..."

"Why would she do that?" Questioned Lydia with a knitted brow, relieved however that it wasn't the father who had committed such a horrendous crime.

"She was ordered to by someone who was her friend. Laelette didn't want me to burn too though, and she gave me a kiss on my neck and I wasn't afraid anymore. She wanted us to play forever and ever, but she kissed me too late. I was already all burned up..." The child sighed softly, "I wish we could have played though, it wouldn't have been fun but it wouldn't have been lonely..." The spirit yawned. "I'm really tired now, I guess I should sleep. Father would be upset I'm up so late." Translucent eyes rose up to the pair who watched with sorrowful expressions. A smile pulled across her face, and the spirit stepped towards them each. "Thank you," she said and wrapped ghostly arms around Lydia, a strange burning sensation rising up the nord's body. Helgi crossed over to Iona and hugged her as well. "Please go help my father."

Lydia dipped her head respectfully. "We will."

The spirit girl smiled, and walked back to her coffin. She looked back one time, before stepping through the wooden walls and lay with her body. Rising to her feet, Iona turned towards her companion, and let out a soft laugh. "You know this is kinda fun," she said.

"What?"

"Fighting just you and me, it's nice."

Lydia shrugged slightly. "I suppose it is... yeah. We should find out more about this Laelette woman, maybe we can find out who really was behind the house burning."

Before either housecarl had a chance to depart, fully intending on reburying the coffin in the morning after they'd gotten a bit of rest, a man came running up with a torch in hand. "What happened?" He demanded as he came racing towards them. "I could see fire and heard a terrible sound, what's going on?" The nord man dressed in green farmer clothes asked, sweeping his gaze between them until he found his eyes resting on the limp vampire and the coffin. "What have you done!" Rage filled his voice and he pulled a small steel axe from where it was looped in his belt. "What have you done to my wife!"

Green and hazel eyes met for a solid moment, mystified, before they looked at him. "Uh... Who?" Lydia asked. "Please don't say Helgi..." She whispered under her breath.

"That's a little girl in the coffin," Iona added, "and we didn't dig her up either."

"No, Laeletta!" Clarified the furious nord man. "The woman you've murdered!"

"You've gotta be kidding me," she muttered softly. "Look, I'm sorry to say but your wife was a vampire and she did this to Helgi. She's the one that set the fire."

Thonnir blinked, and then shook his head fiercely. "You're lying, my wife ran away to the Stormcloaks months ago!"

"She's right here," said Lydia, lifting the corpse up and pulling it over to the man. She placed the body before him, and opened the mouth. "Those right there are fangs," she said as she then opened one eye, "and those are the eyes of a vampire. You're wife is not the woman you knew."

"No..." His weapon dropped into the snow and Thonnir fell to his knees, tears welling in his eyes. "Laeletta..." He tenderly reached out and wrapped her in his arms, pulling her into a tight embrace. "Please, Gods, no..."

"We're truly sorry," Iona said softly.

"No you're not!" He snarled, "You're the ones that killed her!"

"But we're not the ones that turned her, someone else did. If you know who it is, maybe we could get your real justice and that of the girl's."

"There are no vampires in Morthal," Thonnir said softly, fingers still tightly woven around her body. "Maybe in the marsh but none here."

Lydia frowned in sympathy. "I know this is hard, but please. Who was it that she was last seen with? There may be more going on here than you know."

"Alva..." He said slowly, caressing his wife's burned face. "She was supposed to meet with Alva but she said that Laelette never arrived. She's no vampire either, so don't you dare start throwing those accusations around outsiders!" Thonnir's eye rose up to stab daggers at them once more. "You've got no proof."

Iona shook her head. "Perhaps not now but soon we may just," she said, "and we will get the justice that needs to be dealt here in Morthal."

"You're nothing but a bunch of outsiders," he snarled, rising to his feet. "You don't know anything. You've no right to be sticking your nose in where it doesn't belong. If anyone turned my sweet Laeletta into a vampire it was Falion! That damned mage is always playing with what's wrong!"

Gritting her teeth, Iona shook her head. "There is nothing wrong with mages, and Falion isn't the one behind this. He asked us himself to find out the truth."

"Then he did so to trick you into believing him not the mastermind! It wasn't Alva, it was the mage! It's always mages who cause trouble and play with the planes of Oblivion! Mages are nothing but a disaster waiting to happen!" He screamed, grief-stricken and confused, the man was lashing out everywhere. "Because of mages Winterhold is nothing but ruins and now because of a mage my wife is dead!" Iona winced at the unknowing correctness of his statement.

"Enough!" Shouted Lydia, grabbing him by the collar of his jerkin and pulling him close to her face. "You'll not say another word about mages do you understand?" She glowered.

He stiffened, and pulled back but found he couldn't free himself from the housecarl's grasp. Lydia tightened her grip further at his struggling. "Yes!" He shouted, and she shoved him backwards into the snow. Thonnir stumbled, grasped the hilt of his steel ax, and then ran into the night with one last pointed look at the pair as he fled.

Lydia turned back to her redheaded companion who was visibly deflated, eyes downcast and frowing. "Iona..." She said slowly, stepping towards her.

"This... Is exactly why I don't practice magic."

"It doesn't matter what one man says," Lydia argued, "he's just upset about his wife, he didn't mean any of it."

Green eyes stared right into Lydia's. "But it's not just one man. No matter what someone will always think that way, and there is nothing I can do to change that." She started walking back towards the village, going down the same slope Thonnir had. "Now let's go keep our promise to the ghost, and save Yosa'Min."

Lydia's gaze followed after her, a pit in her stomach, and began walking as well. She glanced back at the coffin, and gave a heavy sigh. "Well Mjoll... We lost the bet alright..." She shook her head and picked up the pace, Iona already leaving her behind.

AN: Well this is stupidly late. Life got... hectic, apologies. Regardless, I would love to hear what you think of the chapter, and predictions for what is to come. Thanks for reading!