Chapter One

Long Journey

Nobody noticed Tharstan when he entered the crowded 'Bee and Barb' inn in Rifton. Everyone was either discussing the Dawnguard and the sudden vampire attacks on the bandits, or listening to Maramal. The Redguard, a priest of Mara, was holding a speech about the evil:

"…Mother Mara does not wish you to drink and to enjoy the pleasures of Nirn! In Aetherius you will suffer, this has always been the punishment of the Divines, but you have ignored Their warnings for too long! Now They have sent this plague to cleanse you from your sins. But They are not without mercy; come back in the temple and ask Lady Mara for forgiveness. Do good works in Her name and the Evil will vanish again! The Gods…"

Tharstan ignored the priest. The vampires had always been a problem, but the recreation of the Dawnguard had obviously been a challenge for them, and they couldn't resist the game. They grew bolder and bolder. While the silent murderers had decimated outlaws, others came in the cities and slaughtered the innocent citizens.

The Nord looked around, but the only empty seat was at a Breton's table. She was sitting silently in a corner and only occasionally sipping at her mead.

He walked over to her. "May I sit down?"

The woman nodded. "Sure."

The Argonian innkeeper came and brought Tharstan a bottle of mead and a stew. While he ate, the woman watched the crowd. Maramal had ended his speech but was now answering the various questions in his usual preacher's voice that boomed through the entire room. "Yes! Feed the poor! Give them money and clothes, and Lady Mara will smile at you…I'm sorry, Bolli, but your wife will have to look after herself. Your actions are not hers…Haelga, I don't know if Dibella will keep you safe…"

When Tharstan was finished with his meal, he started to feel uncomfortable. The stranger sat in silence, observing the people, so he had the time to look at her. She was about his age, with long black hair, amber eyes and a pretty face. She seemed too thin, but otherwise…

Suddenly the Breton turned her head and caught the Nord staring. He decided that it was a good moment to break the awkward silence between them, but she spoke first. "Marena Salian."

"Tharstan Dead-Bane."

Her eyes widened for a second, but then she smiled. "Dead-Bane? Do the people in Sovngarde fear you that much?"

He laughed. "No! I'm just good at killing Draugr, so my comrades started to call me like that. Undead-Bane was too clumsy, they said."

"Are these comrades hiding somewhere around?"

"No. We were Vigilantes of Stendarr."

"Oh." She seemed shocked. "I'm sorry…"

"It's okay." Tharstan managed to keep his face calm, although the memories came again, of fire and blood and howling death hounds. "Most of my friends survived the vampire's attack, but afterwards I decided to join the Dawnguard. And here I am, ready to kill some leeches!" The last statement should have sounded powerful, but the words felt wrong and faked.

"Well, then we can go together." He must have looked puzzled, for she smiled. "I'm going to 'vanquish the Evil!'", she said, taking a sheet of parchment out of her pocket. It was one of the pamphlets the Dawnguard had spread in Skyrim. "I'm an alchemist and plus, I'm pretty good with a dagger."

Tharstan's brow furrowed. "Why do you want to join?"

She shrugged and took the last sip from her bottle. "Stuff that happened a long, long time ago." Her face stayed emotionless, but her eyes shone for a moment. "I'll go to bed now and depart at dusk."

"Why?"

Marena smiled. "I want to know why it's called 'Dayspring Canyon'."

Shortly after the end of the day, Tharstan came out of his chamber. Marena had been waiting for the Nord and greeted him friendly. She was quite happy to travel with him. Company would distract her from worrying about the thousand possible ways her plan could fail.

The Breton waited for him while he washed his face in a barrel with clean water next to the door, then they walked out of Rifton. Soon they had settled in a quick pace and silence fell over them, but now they felt quite comfortable with it.

From time to time, Marena cast a quick glance in Tharstan's direction. He had dirty blond, short cut hair and brown eyes in a typical Nord face with a strong jaw. One and a half heads taller than her. About twenty-five years old, she guessed. Tharstan was still clad like a Vigilant, in a set of Novice robes without a hood, plain steel gauntlets and boots, and armed with a steel mace. She wondered if he had any experience in fighting vampires.

As if he had read her thoughts, he turned his head to her. "Aren't you afraid of leeches? It's night, after all."

She laughed. "There are a few reasons why not. We carry torches - vampires are extremely weakened by fire. Then, you still look like a Vigilant. And we are near Fort Dawnguard, no?" Oh, and last but most definitely not least, they can smell me.

"Yes, we are nearly past the mountain. There's a watchtower called Stendarr's Beacon to the south and it more or less guards the entrance to the Dayspring Canyon."

"Good."

After another hour their surroundings began to change. Snow covered the ground, it grew colder, and the colourful autumn trees were replaced by tall dark giants with needles instead of leaves. Tharstan explained that mountains to the south made it much colder than in the heart of the Rift.

"There!", he said and pointed. On a rocky hill a stunted tower was standing, clearly visible in the light of aurora and moons. "Would you mind if we rest here for some time? I think dawn is still two hours away and we're nearly at the fort."

"Sure."

At Stendarr's Beacon they were greeted by three Vigilants who offered them a hot drink and a place at the fire. While Tharstan accepted immediately and began to swap stories with his old comrades, Marena decided to take a look at the rest of the tower. There wasn't much to see, though. A solid two-storey stone building which looked even more stunted because of its big diameter. She was still able to overlook a good part of the environment and for some time she just enjoyed the view while the Vigilants chattered downstairs.

When she was halfway on the stairs again, she felt a sudden weakness invade her body. Her vision blurred for a moment, and her knees were no longer able to hold her weight. She stumbled and nearly fell before she could steady herself by grabbing the stone wall. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in order to clam herself. It's nothing, she thought. Just the same like every morning. Already over.

Tharstan had risen from his seat, ready to help her. "Are you okay?"

She opened her eyes again. "It's nothing. Thank you, but I'm fine. Can we go on?"

"If you are well enough..."

"I said I'm fine."

Her mood slowly got worse while they continued their journey. They walked a short distance and then stopped in front of a cave. She looked at Tharstan. "Is that the gate to the Dayspring Canyon?"

"Hm. I have to admit I've also imagined it more..."

"Grand? Magnificent? Intimidating? Less reeking of troll dung?"

"Hm."

When they left the short passage, Tharstan first thought they had entered another, higher cave, but then he looked up. He nudged Marena - who was complaining about something sticking to her boot - with the elbow and pointed up. "Look!"

They were standing on a narrow path flanked at both sides by high cliffs that nearly touched overhead. Between the rocks the brightening sky was visible. After a few hundred meters the passage ahead widened to a valley. There was a lake, and waterfalls on the southern cliffs. The valley continued in the east, from which the morning sun was shining and its light was shattered in the thin spray of drops to a hundred colours. The air was warm and the trees surrounding the lake bore the autumn colours on their leaves.

Marena was smiling. "Beautiful", she whispered.

For a while they just enjoyed the view. The red, pink, and golden lights of the dawn slowly faded from the sky and left it bright, blue, and clear of clouds.

Suddenly they heard a voice from behind: "Oh, hey there! You here to join the Dawnguard, too?"

When Tharstan turned around, he saw a young Nord - maybe eighteen - in farmer's clothes and with a war axe at his belt. He had chin-long blond hair and a nervous expression on his face.

"Yes", answered Marena after a short pause.

"Truth is, I'm a little nervous. I've never done anything like this before. I hope you don't mind if I walk up with you."

"Sure."

The man smiled. "Oh, good. I'm Agmaer, by the way."

"Tharstan Dead-Bane, nice to meet you."

"Marena Salian."

The three people began to walk east through the valley and after some time stood in front of Fort Dawnguard. For a while they just stood there.

"I thought a 'fort' is a small castle", said Agmaer.

Tharstan laughed. "Well, Marena, I guess this fulfills your requirements."

"Hm?"

"Grand, magnificent, intimidating, no troll dung."

The fort - castle would have been more appropriate - was a gigantic structure of smooth, curved stone towering over them. It seemed to have a big platform on the roof and several watchtowers. Around was a garden with some vegetables and a training area where an orc was fumbling with a strange thing made of metal and wood. Tharstan had no idea what it was, but Marena's eyes began to shine.

"Is that a crossbow?"

"Hah! Yes", said the orc. At the puzzled expression of the two men he grunted. "Special Dawnguard weapon. Makes a hole through steel, wood, bone, and leeches. But you ought to go inside, talk to Isran."

At the door, they saw another Dawnguard member, a Breton with red hair and beard. He introduced himself as Celann.

"New recruits, hmm? Isran will decide if you've got what it takes. Go on, he's inside." He stepped aside and Tharstan opened the gate.

AN: Sorry for any mistakes, I'm not a native speaker and I'm writing in the Doc Manager, so I have no correction software. Also sorry for the messed chapter numbers, but I don't like the Prologue to be together with the first chapter.

I'd really appreciate a review.

Thanks for reading.