Chapter Twenty-Six

"Do we really have to creep into a woman's house to find out what's going on here?" Iona complained as they stood outside the door of a certain potential vampire. Alva's home was besides Falion's, but perfectly in view of the Jarl's longhouse, meaning there were guards staring at them as they knocked on the door at a ridiculously late hour.

"We're not creeping if she lets us in," remarked Lydia with a slight frustrated scowl. They'd been there for the past twenty minutes but still no one had come to the door even to send them away. She half wondered if the woman was even home when suddenly it came flying open and a man with brownish swept back hair and burly arms was before them. His eyes were hardened and distant, an obvious irritation about him as he looked at the two women who gave sheepish smiles of greeting.

"What do you want?" He growled.

Lydia cleared her throat before she spoke, wanting to handle the situation with as much tact as she'd seen Yosa'Min do over the years. "Are you Hroggar?"

Grunting, he nodded his head. "So?"

"Well we'd like to speak to you about-"

"The fire?" He cut her short with a flash in his eyes. "I don't like to talk about it, and especially not to outsiders. Leave."

"Perhaps if you're not one to talk, is Alva home?" Iona jumped in as he began to shut the door on them, a hand grasping the edge of the wood to keep it open. "We need to speak to her." With more force than either of them had anticipated, Hroggar slammed the door shut, Iona barely moving her hand out of the way in time. She scowled after him, and then crossed her arms. "Well that went perfectly..." A moment later they heard the heavy click of a lock falling into place.

Rolling her eyes, Lydia took a moment to try to think up another plan. "Well it looks like we're going to have to do this like Yosa would," she said after some time.

Iona leaned against a wooden pillar, eyes cast on the guards who were still watching them warily. These people were worse about outsiders than any other village she'd visited too, it made her skin crawl. It wouldn't surprise her if they were getting ready to run them out of town for all their poking around, the thought reminding her that they needed to be careful. They were doing this off the request of a highly unpopular mage, not the jarl herself after all, many would see that as reason enough to accuse Falion further or them in addition, and that was the last thing any of them needed. "And what would that be?" She drawled a bit, tired from the day and this foolishness. The brunet's answer was a lockpick in hand. Iona's eyes widened a bit, and she flicked her gaze back to the guards that she'd noticed had crept closer towards them along the snowy boardwalk. "You're serious?"

Lydia nodded. "Of course. We've got to get in there and find out the truth. I know it's... well it's a Yosa thing let's put it that way."

"Yeah but we're not thanes, we can't get away with that kind of truth-seeking. We're housecarls!"

A shrug rolled off the brunet's shoulders. "Exactly, which means we have to do what it takes to protect our thane. Right now, that means getting her a means for a cure, and the only way to do that is to prove Falion's innocence and our only lead is Alva. I have a feeling she's not even here right now, and at this hour there isn't a good reason unless she's not really a creature of the day at all but rather the night."

The redhead groaned with frustration slightly, leaning her head back further and staring upwards at the thatch awning above her. She was conflicted between her own sense of law and duty. Lydia did have her there about why they would commit a crime to save their thane, and Iona realized she was willing to even consider it when months ago that would have been an insane notion. It would seem the redguard had gotten to her some just as she obviously had to Lydia, her bad habits rubbing off on the women after being around her so long. "I don't know..." She admitted her hesitance, looking back at Lydia who seemed fully committed.

"We don't know how long it will be before she's gone," Lydia said firmly.

Stiffening, Iona shook her head. "We've got almost two and a half weeks."

"That's a guess. We could be wrong."

Taking a moment more to think, the redheaded nord pushed off the pillar. "Lydia what you're suggesting we do is a crime. You do realize that right?"

She stood firmly, hazel eyes hardened with conviction. "I do."

Muttering under her breath, Iona looked back at the guards. They were suspiciously close now. "Okay fine, for Yosa," she gave in, "You get the door, I'll handle these guys." Without another word, the redhead started to rush down the steps back to the boardwalk that circled the marshy part of the town. The guards stiffened as she approached them, her words soft and out of Lydia's range of hearing. The burnet instantly focused on her work, bending down by the lock and taking in a deep breath. She'd only done this once or twice before when her curiosity of what Yosa'Min was such a master of won over. Her inexperience quickly showed as she slid the lockpick inside the keyhole, and began to prod about uncertain what to do.

Panic nearly surged up her body as she realized she didn't really know what she was doing, but the woman quickly brushed it aside. There was no way she would save her Thane with an attitude like that. Fiddling with it more, she recalled all the times she'd watched Yosa'Min do it and steadily worked at the lock, mindful of keeping herself quiet from the rest of the world. Very quickly her reality became only the small little lock, nothing else, not even Iona who was skillfully distracting the guards with some tall tale, existed. The warrior's hands worked in a way they never had before, nimble and precise as she listened carefully for the click of the tumblers falling into the right place.

"What's going on over there?" A voice cut in sharply just as she heard the sound of the door unlocking.

"Oh?" Iona looked in the exact opposite direction. "I think you've stayed up a bit too long my friend, there's nothing there. Perhaps you should see about getting relieved early before you stumble into the marsh."

"Wouldn't be a first time," snarked the second guard.

"Hey!"

"You also walked onto the ice and slipped earlier. Maybe you should get a relief."

As their conversation picked up, Iona caught a glimpse of Lydia slipping inside the house. The redhead smiled politely to the two before excusing herself back to the inn claiming she also needed to rest. Walking on by, she made her way around towards the Jarl's longhouse before cutting left and looping her way towards Alva's home from the backside, ducking through trees and snowy bushes. By the time she'd made her way back, to Avla's home the two guards were gone. She softly knocked on the door, and a moment or two passed tensely before it opened and Lydia stood there with an unconscious Hroggar behind her.

Sighing, Iona slipped inside and simply looked at the brunet who sheepishly looked back. "He didn't like me coming inside all that much..."

"Really now?"

"Okay the sarcasm can wait, we still have a job to do," Lydia replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. "We need some kind of proof of what happened, like a journal or letter."

"Who keeps incriminating documents for everyone that walks in to see?"

"Yes I realize the weakness of my logic but it's something."

The two began to search the house, a simple room they were in at the moment that combined a kitchen, dining room and bedroom all in one. There was a fireplace mantle that was still cooking a bowl of stew across from the door, a bed and chest to the immediate right of it with an assortment of storage type containers between them shoved in the corner. On the other side of the home was a larger bed and chest as well as a table that held sweets and silverware, a cupboard along the wall left of the bed. There was nothing that held a scrap of detail, and if anything there was a bit more proof that Hroggar hadn't moved in with Alva for her womanly wiles, the additional bed suggesting they didn't spend the nights together like they'd suspected. Suddenly their case for Alva's involvement didn't seem quite as strong as they'd hoped, until their attention turned to the set of stairs besides the fireplace that led to a door.

"A cellar?" Suggested Iona, the pair approaching it carefully.

"Now that's where I'd keep secrets," remarked Lydia.

"It's so obvious though."

"Ever heard of hiding in plain sight Iona?"

Snorting, she decided not to answer and instead opened the door that was mercifully unlocked. The pair instantly stiffened as they stared inside the cellar, a square cobblestone room with lampstands about and a small raised area of stone where in the center was a coffin. "By the Nine..." Whispered the redhead as they approached it, a small red leather bound book resting inside the open velvet lined coffin. "I was kind of hoping we were wrong."

"This isn't entirely concrete," Lydia said as she picked up the book. "Let's... Make sure..." The housecarl from Riften stood guard besides the door as Lydia read through the disturbing pages, her brow furrowed in a way that Iona couldn't help but find slightly adorable all things considered. As Lydia flipped through the journal Iona's attention was steadily finding itself split from guarding the door to sneaking glances at where her companion stood. Iona's gaze dropped down towards Lydia's rump, lingering there for a few moments before the snapping upwards in time for the other to not realize what Iona was doing.

"So what does it say?" Iona inquired.

Walking over with a very disturbed expression, Lydia shook her head. "We were right," she said first, "But I truly wish we weren't now. She's a vampire. Alva enthralled Hroggar so she'd have a bodyguard of sorts and she turned Laelette into one as well. The family was becoming a problem so she told Laelette to make it look like an accident but then all this happened with the fire."

"Blast... At least we've caught her though."

Shaking her head a bit more, there was true apprehension in the nord's voice as she spoke. "That's not all. Alva is a fledgling of a powerful vampire named Movarth, and he wants her to subdue the guard until Morthal is defenseless... And then their clan is going to take the city, enslave the people and turn them into cattle!"

"What?" Iona gawked, a hand reaching for the book to see the words herself. Lydia passed it over easily, frightened nearly out of her skin at the impending danger, and then looked over at the coffin. Never before in her life did she think vampires were real, that they weren't just little fairytales to scare children into obeying. Yosa'Min always seemed to show that there was more to life and the world than one originally thought, but it was unnerving just how much there was out there that Lydia had been so unaware of. She couldn't help but wonder that if these folk lore stories were true, what other ones were as well and what that might mean for the people of Tamriel.

"I can't believe it!" Said the redheaded nord, shutting the book and tucking it into a pocket in her satchel. "We have to take this to Falion immediately."

"Right, let's-" Lydia cut herself off as they heard the sound of a door shutting in the house. Both of them tensed, darting for the small amount of concealment there was in the cellar room. They hid along the wall where the stairs opened up to them, the corridor down obscuring them as they pressed into the corners and held their breaths. The pair strained to listen, knowing full well that they'd not hidden Hroggar upstairs. The brunet partially hoped that the noise came from the man awakening, but then that would mean the guard were about to swoop down upon them and they'd be trapped in the cellar. Cursing herself for such a foolish mistake, Lydia tried to listen closer but there wasn't a sound being made upstairs.

Suddenly there was a shadow cast from the stairs, the door creaking open ever so slowly, lingering like a ghost. Lydia's skin crawled, lightning jolts of energy running across her body as she waited for whatever or whoever it was to make some sort of move. Hazel eyes locked with green ones for a split moment, a clear understanding passing between them. As silently as they could, the pair drew their weapons and waited. The shadow stepped forward inside, a foot shortly followed by the rest of the person. It was a woman with brown hair that ran to her shoulder, dressed in gold and green garbs that were rather revealing of her natural endowments. Golden bracelets and arm bands adorned her body as a heavy set necklace hung around her neck, a long steel dagger at her hip. As she stood there, a wild smirk on her face, Iona caught a glimpse of glowing red eyes.

"Vampire!" Shouted Iona, the pair surging forward with weapons aimed at the creature of the night. Alva cackled before stepping forward in a wave of darkness, safe from their attack while the housecarls narrowly had to avoid slashing the other.

"Look who's trespassing! If it isn't the outsiders..." Alva snarled, wisps of darkness curling around her for a few moments more before the vampire was fully visible to them once more. Burning eyes devoured the pair, the intruders steeling themselves and their blades against their foe. "I am a bit peckish..." Drawled the vampire as she tilted her head, the eeriness of her movement striking a nerve against the two mortals. "I suppose you two could sate my thirst."

Gritting her teeth, Lydia stepped towards the enemy, circling around the coffin with her sword at the ready. Light glistened off the blade, darkness seeming to have swallowed everything but the torchlight in the cellar with the entrance of the vampire. "Well I'm afraid you're going to go hungry tonight monster."

Alva laughed, glistening fangs revealed once more, and shook her head as she calmed herself, drawing her dagger with a vicious smirk. "Oh no, I don't think I am." A moment later she struck, racing forward with lightning speed that was greater than that of Laelette's. She moved first towards Lydia, the brunet raising her shield to parry the blow before twisting her sword forward in an arc that Alva dodged. Stepping around to her rear, Alva slashed the brunet across the back. The blade reflected off most of the armor, but still Lydia grunted in pain before turning to return the favor. Alva sidestepped her once more before striking at the warrior's more exposed shoulder where all that protected her was leather and fur. Bringing her shield up just a moment too slow, Lydia's arm erupted into crimson, Alva's eyes shining with a predatory pleasure as the woman tried to flee and gather herself.

Rushing to the aid of her fellow, Iona came barreling towards the vampire, but Alva moved with grace and fluidly avoided the charge, striking the redhead with her long dagger as she passed. Twisting around with a raised hand, the woman shouted a few words that Alva did not understand before suddenly torrents of flame came forward and devoured the space that had been between them. Shrieking, Alva darted across the room with nothing more than singed hair and reddened skin. "So you've got some tricks up your sleeve little warrior?" Mocked the vampire as she straightened up. There was a fury in Alva's eyes that would have unnerved Iona if it wasn't for the fact that she felt exactly the same.

"Why don't you come find out?"

"Oh certainly," Alva purred before she rushed forward, Iona having raised an arm that already had a spell prepared. Iona shouted as another torrent of flames came from her hand, swirling violently in the air with a vicious whooshing sound. The vampire ducked low, narrowly avoiding the spell, and drove the blade upwards towards Iona's chest with full intent of killing. The sound of metal striking metal filled the room, Iona stumbling backwards, suddenly grateful she wore armor as a sharp pain filled her chest. Alva surged after her, striking left and right, dancing with a surprising skill around the housecarl who was starting to find it hard to keep up. Despite her very domestic and seductive appearance, Alva was putting up a good fight. Iona parried an attack with her shield before striking herself, Alva's unnatural speed the only thing keeping her safe from the move.

Lydia came forward again, bashing her shield against Alva who'd been distracted by the redhead. The vampire hissed with anger but that was soon silenced as the nord drove her blade across the vampire's torso. Alva shrieked, her clothing doing nothing to protect her as blood surged forward and ran down her body in thick waves from the long slash. Red light swirled in her hands and Alva shouted foreign words of her own as the spell spread outwards in tendrils, wrapping themselves around Lydia who quickly felt her strength sapping. Slowing, the nord gritted her teeth and tried to free herself from the dark magic but her mind was starting to feel warm and fuzzy. The wound across Alva's chest steadily mended itself as she stole life from the nord, a wicked smile across the vampire's face. Lydia stumbled, darkness swirling in her vision and heaviness swallowing her body, her breathing getting harder more and more as the creature sapped her away.

With a fierce battle cry, Iona brought her blade down upon the outstretched hands, a sick sound filling the air as she cleaved them off. Alva let loose a terrible howl, knees crumpling beneath her as pain of an unbearable level surged throughout her body. Her hands fell to the stone floor, still tensed and swirling with magic, blood pooling from her arms that were now more like stumps, ending raggedly in gore and blood. A shriek rose from the monster, Alva's seductive attire stained and torn, as ruined as she was. "You'll pay for that!" Snarled the vampire in broken breaths.

Iona stood above her for a moment, blood dripping down the edge of her blade onto the floor where it pooled with the rest of the mess. "Actually... I don't think I will," she said before bringing her sword across and removing the creature's head. It rolled across the floor, fangs bared with one last snarl as the light in the monster's eyes faded away. The pair looked at one another, battered but well enough to continue with their quest, and a grim looked dawned Iona's face. "We need to bring that journal to Falion right away, it's the proof he needs."

"We need to warn the Jarl as well," added the panting brunet, still trying to recover her breath. With a nod of her head, Iona began to lead the way outside, Lydia following after with one last glance at the corpse upon the ground.

"They're what!" Falion shouted with obvious distress, his hood pulled down to show his face to the pair. The young girl that lived with him startling awake from her bed. "No this is very bad," he uttered, shaking his head as he read over the journal. "We must go to the Jarl immediately."

"I'm surprised," Lydia remarked, "I almost thought you only cared about yourself."

Iona snickered softly at his scowl. "Foolish nord, if these vampires attack as Alva's journal says they will, I will not have a place to conduct my research nor will the girl survive." Agni gave him a frightened look, terror running deep through the child as she got out of bed and ran to his side. "It's okay, I won't let that happen," he said to her, protectively wrapping an arm around her. Squaring the pair before him up once again, he nodded his head. "Quickly, we must go."

"Wait," Lydia said as she held up a hand. "We brought you proof, we've done our half. Swear to us that you will cure Yosa'Min."

"Is now really-"

"Do it."

Huffing, Falion nodded his head. "You have my word. Bring me your thane and I shall cure her. But only if she desires it at that point, because otherwise her spirit will be torn asunder. The vampire must want to be cured. If she does not desire mortality then the process will destroy her completely. There will not be a part of her left; no heart, no mind, no soul. Nothing but a hollowed monster will be left in her place that will have no inhibitions to destroy everything in her path. Even you two will perish at her hand."

They tensed, startled with this new information. "Truly?" Balked Iona first.

"Truly. The process requires a willing participant. You must move swiftly to rescue your thane before she decides she prefers the night over the sun," Falion replied, "However first you must save this town, or you will have no one here to reverse the process."

The pair looked at each other, worried some at this news before them. If they stayed and fought off these vampires then they'd be loosing precious time that they could be using to find and convince Yosa'Min of what needs to happen to save her. On the other hand, they couldn't really leave these people to fend for themselves when they'd already seen that they were so easily infiltrated, the fact that Falion was right about being their only hope for Yosa'Min aside. Sighing inwardly, they nodded their heads in agreement. They were still moral citizens, even if they'd just broken a few laws that night.

"Take us to the Jarl," Lydia said, "We'll help you clean up this mess."

"Thank the Divines," uttered Falion as the three adults began to leave, Agni too afraid to leave Falion's side and tagging along. "Let's just hope we're not too later." Considering they'd already run into a vampire in the town, Lydia wouldn't have been surprised if there were more lurking in the shadows, ready to strike and silence them before they revealed the whole ruse. The short, brisk walk to the Jarl's longhouse felt like it lasted an eternity, paranoia making Lydia look in every corner along the way for impending death. The fact that they got there without a problem, was the first blessing they'd had all day.