"Alrek my love? Are you okay? You always have such restless sleep..." Ysolda, his wife said. Alrek nodded and smiled.
Alrek loved her for this, she cared so much about him.
"Don't worry my dear, Nothing can bring me down as long as your here with me"
...
Alrek wished dreams lasted forever, he woke up next to Serana who was still asleep, moonlight was pouring in through the opening in the grove.
He saw Iskar packing up. Alrek approached him. "Leaving already?" He said. Iskar nodded.
"I have done my part in protecting you two...You two need to be more careful on this quest of yours..." He said, Alrek turned around and looked at Serana who turned over in her sleep, clearly uncomfortable about something.
"She cares about you, I hope you understand that" Iskar said, Alrek looked down at the ground. Iskar continued looking at him "And what about you? Do you care for her?"
Alrek went to go same something but was interrupted by Iskar "Or are you too afraid to care about someone?" He said.
Alrek looked up at him.
"How did you..."
"You look like a man who has lost everything, and thus have become too afraid to care for someone or something." Iskar said, Alrek remained silent listening to him.
"Things are going to get worse if you don't face your fears. It will put you, and Serana's life in danger." Iskar finished packing up and he put his hood over his head. "I hope we run into each other again"
Iskar walked out of the grove while Alrek watched. He went back to the sleeping bag and laid back down next to Serana, who almost instantly cuddled closer to him.
Alrek didn't feel like moving, he was too lost in his thoughts.
Thinking of where it all went wrong.
He always had anger issues, but that was one of the main reasons why he loved Ysolda, she knew exactly what to say and what to do to calm him down.
The companions warned him that his anger issues would make his beast form more dangerous and uncontrollable, but Alrek wasn't afraid, it was just another challenge he had to overcome, and Ysolda could help him...
If only he knew what would happen...
He heard the screams from downstairs...
They were making their way towards Dark Fall cave, He could feel Serana's concerned gaze on him. He knew she wanted to ask about what was bothering him, but his demeanor said to not bother asking.
They approached the cave entrance, Alrek stared at the entrance before he turned towards Serana. "I think we should part ways for now, I'll come back to the fortress once I have the bow" He said
This took Serana by surprise. "Your not getting rid of me that easily, nice try though." She patted him on the back and walked ahead of him, Alrek stared at her as she walked in, he sighed and went after her.
The cave was nothing like all the other caves Alrek had visted, this one seemed to give off a strange aura, after some wandering and a run into with a bunch of frostbite spiders, the approached a small campsite that was dimly lit by a fading lantern, two paths led off from it and a troll skull lay next to one of the sleeping bags.
Serana approached it and picked up a journal she read through it and gave it to Alrek.
"Take a look, seems whoever camped here were studying the trolls in the area." She said, Alrek took a look at it and put it in his pack. They continued onwards, passing several odd looking plants, they came out into an opening, crystals along the ceiling gave off a beautiful light and they saw Elk and sabertooth cats with beautiful looking pelts.
"Wow...This place is beautiful..." Serana said, Alrek nodded and they walked along a pathway, encountering Sabertooth cats which were not that big of a threat.
They saw a shrine in the distance, one with a star on top of it that reminded him of Azura's star. What appeared to be an Elf approached them, dressed in white armor.
"Hello there travelers my name is Gelebor, a Knight-Paladin, what brings you to this shrine" Gelebor said. Alrek approached him.
"We're looking for Auriel's bow...Do you know how we can find it?" Alrek asked, Gelebor nodded. "Indeed I do, but I must ask you a favor."
"My brother Vythur, another snow elf like me..." Gelebor was cut off by Alrek.
"Wait...Your a falmer?" Alrek asked. Gelebor made a face of disgust "I prefer the term snow elf, Falmer has a negative tone behind it...But back to my brother, he resides in the Chantry where you will find Auriel's bow...But I request that you kill him...I'm afraid the Falmer has corrupted his mind...He is no longer the same..."
"However, getting into the Chantry is no easy task, it involves walking along a path with a certain pot and drawing water from each shrine, only then can you enter the Chantry and slay my brother, here is the pot that you need" Gelebor handed him a water basin and Alrek took it.
"Carrying around water just to dump it out? Sounds like a waste of time" Serana said. Gelebor turned towards her. "Its a sacred ritual by us snow elves, I don't expect you to get it" He said "I shall open the way for you" The shrine rose up and revealed a small room, one of which had a portal that seemed to lead to a cave.
"I wish you luck" Gelebor said, before walking away and going back to a book he seemed to be reading earlier.
"Lets get going!" Serana said smiling.
He couldn't let this go on.
He grabbed her arm, his head low. Serana turned around "Whats wrong?"
"Stay behind...I'll return once I have the bow" He said, Serana frowned.
"This again, Come on Alrek let go..." She said
He rushed downstairs, sword in hand.
"I'm serious...Please stay behind..."
There were several men, Alrek was tackled from behind
"Alrek...Whats wrong...Why are you acting like this?"
"We had a deal Ysolda! We were going to give you two more days for that Skooma shipment!"
"I don't want you to get hurt..."
"Now were gonna show you what happens if you don't do what we ask!"
"I'm not gonna get hurt, Now let go..."
A sword was driven through his chest, he heard Ysolda yell his name
"I'm begging you! Please...I don't want to lose you..."
He was angry, angry for being lied to, angry that he can't protect Ysolda
"Alrek what is going on?" She yanked her arm free "Did Iskar say something to you?"
He could hear them yell as he tore them apart with his claws. He loved it.
"Just please leave me alone...I'll do this myself..."
He couldn't control himself when he was angry
"Alrek jus-" She was interrupted when tears begin to roll down Alrek's face
When he came too...
He didn't want to lose her
There was blood everywhere
He was afraid of losing someone close to him again.
Ysolda was covered in blood
He was afraid of what he was
But in his hands...
Afraid of what he would do
Was her head...
"Just...Leave!" He cried out and fell to his knees.
Serana stared at him.
"Alrek..." She kneeled down next to him.
"Alrek...Whats wrong...Did Iskar say something to you?" She asked, Alrek shook his head.
"I suppose I owe you some answers...I had a wife before Aela...Her name was Ysolda...She was the first woman I ever loved...But she kept secrets from me, she was a Skooma dealer...She owed a bunch of bandits a shipment of Skooma so they gave her two extra days...But I guess she didn't do it in time. Bandits came into our house and threatened to kill her, I came downstairs and they tackled me, they were going to kill me...But I was already a werewolf, except I couldn't control my anger at the time...I killed everyone...Even Ysolda..."
The guards came bursting in, they sent him to jail but the companions took full responsible for not teaching him how to control his powers. He was hated.
"Your a monster! She trusted you and you killed her!"
He couldn't take it, so he left Whiterun for 5 years
"I'm afraid to care about someone...I don't want to lose you...So I thought maybe if you left...Things could go back to how they were...With me alone..." He said
"So wait, you were just gonna drop off the bow back at the fortress, then leave?" Serana asked, stunned. Alrek nodded. Serana held his face in her hands, looking into his eyes.
"I'm not gonna die...So don't be afraid." Serana said, She let go of his face and she stood up and offered her hand for him, he took her hand and she helped him up, they stared there for awhile before blushing at the relization that they were holding hands, they let go of each other.
"Lets uh...Lets get going..." Alrek said, Serana nodded and they walked into the portal.
At least one of their problems was slightly resolved...
Ehh...I guess it was alright...I know, I know...I butchered the hell out of Gelebor and the Dragonborn's conversation, I forgot how the conversation went. How did you guys like the whole dramatic thing between Serana and Alrek? It was alright to me, I could have been better, but as long as you guys enjoyed it then I did a good job, props to Wingcommander WhiteWolf for help with ideas