Chapter 3 – Search

"I find your wolfish grin... unsettling." – Quote, Guard

Tai awoke weakly, staring down at his blood stained hands. He weakly sat up in the forest, the body of a deer beside him. Tai felt sick as he stared at the mangled body, then sicker when he felt his sudden hunger. Footsteps broke his daymares.

"Glad to see you with your eyes open. I thought you might never wake up" Z spoke quietly, Tai jumped in shock at her near naked form. He could smell her, hear her heart beat. Quick, fluttering as she too listened for the third one. He could smell Farkas all over her. Tai couldn't help tilt his head as Z grinned.

"I have basic needs too boy" she answered, right then the poorly glad Farkas walked in with a grin. An unsettling grin that reflected great pleasure as he winked at Z. Tai felt the heat rise in his body in an enormous blush. Z winked back at Farkas and then turned her eyes back to Tai.

"Resisting the changes is taxing, so I allow them on occasion" she cleared up Tai's dirty mind with a raised brow. Farkas coughed drawing her attention. When her eyes came back to the grinning Tai his facial expression dropped. She wasn't smiling.

"Enough bullshit. Why are you so eager to be one of us? An almost family driven man such as yourself would not sacrifice for his own amusement" Z's voice hit home like a ton of bricks. Tai looked at her with unusually sad eyes.

"My brothers are members of the companions" he whispered. Farkas coughed in shock as Z looked to him with her raised brow.

"I suspected as much. You three all look alike" Z still didn't smile as Farkas looked enraged.

"My brother would not be…" he paused lost for words.

"That" he finished.

Tai averted his eyes as Farkas strode aggressively towards the cowering man. Z placed her hand on his chest lightly; it was enough to stop Farkas as his huge hand closed over her smaller one.

"I want him gone Z" Farkas growled, Z looked sadly at him.

"We will ask Vilkas" Z mumbled. The circle suddenly stepped from the bushes, Vale ensuring she kicked dirt into Tai's face.

"Get rid of him" Vilkas said, almost sorrow in his face as he stared at Farkas. Z sighed as the circle smiled.

"I'm sorry" Tai seemed to sob.

"I needed to let you know. Since you all hate me so much, I'll be curing my wolf and leaving" Tai was irritated but sorrowful.

Why did they all hate him? True he bagged them all, showed them up and hit on Aela and Vale like a hammer on an anvil. True he also spoke like the common drunk, slapped Aela's rump rudely. Perved on bathing women and more often than not humiliated the non-straight couples. Still, this wasn't fair.

"Maybe if you had listened we wouldn't be in this mess" Vale teased, Z looked disapprovingly at her.

"Family is hard Tai, that's why I don't have any… Yet" Z spoke sadly, Vilkas' face took one of shock, no one else picked up on this.

"Where will I go?" he asked sadly. Z sighed. It was Aela who spoke up.

"Rifton. I've heard rumours of a new order starting up. I may dislike you personally but they could use your skill"

Tai nodded, his eyes roaming to his chained feet. It was Vale who offered him the key.

"Be gone by morning" she ordered. It was then the Companions turned their backs on Tai and walked away without a moment's hesitation.

The road was terrible. In disrepair as Tai walked, his armour dented and his sword blunt. It had been a few days now, Tai had been walking blindly around the Rift. He was hunting for a job, a guild of warriors. Next his path took him to Rifton. The stinking broke city run by the Black-Briars. Z had warned him of them, telling Tai about the chaos and money driven politics of Rifton. He had not believed her. That he soon discovered was a mistake.

"Halt. Before you enter Rifton you must pay the visitors tax" the guard demanded. Tai rolled his eyes.

"I was warned the guards shake people down. Step aside before I run you through" Tai threatened the guard.

"You think you can take the entire guard? Ha! Go ahead and try you stupid boy" the guard retorted. Tai rolled his eyes as he lifted the guard with one hand.

"Pickpocket!" He yelled. The guard looked uneasy.

"Ok ok! I'll let you in. Put me down and I'll unlock the gate" the guard spoke in a hushed tone. Tai wasted no time in throwing the guard towards the gate. The guard scampered as he obeyed Tai. Tai sighed as a hooded traveller walked up beside him.

"Hello sir. Could you please tell me…" Tai was cut off as the man removed his hood. A high elf, yellow skinned and orange eyed. His teeth were not human however as he begun to smoulder in the sun.

"Die Dawnguard!" he yelled.

"Wait… You know of the Dawnguard?" Tai asked, the man's fangs in his neck however cut him short.

Tai lay on the ground, a broken warrior as the Guards screamed but did not act. It was two more strangers in strange armour that came to Tai's rescue.

"Die scum!" they screamed and fired. The bolts from their crossbows did not need to be fired twice, the vampire fell. Deader than before.

"Quickly, let's get him to Isran" the strangers hoisted the fading Tai onto their huge armoured horses and kicked with yells.

The horses shot forwards, Tai winced as he felt the change coming on.

Farkas smiled as Z groaned, rolling to have him at her back. Farkas let his hand slide around the covered waist of his beautiful wife as she groaned again.

"Farkas, honey?" she whispered weakly. Farkas kicked himself for waking her as he squirmed in his sack pants.

"Go to sleep dear" he whispered quietly, Z however rolled to face him. Her eyes shone with love as her hands gathered on his chest, his arm tightened around her.

The room had huge beams across the roof, in shades of grey Farkas felt at home. Even in this light he saw Z's eye colour, they seemed to shine whenever he stared into them.

"Your eyes are like the night sky" he whispered, a line Vilkas had helped him with. Z smiled sweetly as she took an expression of almost tears of happiness.

"I love you" she whispered wiggling slightly to be closer to him. Farkas kissed her nose softly and whispered.

"I know. Now get some sleep" and with that he held her tightly. Nothing was going to hurt his wife when he was around. Soon her rare sleepy breaths came at an even pace. Farkas smiled as he finally closed his eyes.

"Farkas?" she whispered as he was almost asleep. He nearly cursed but instead settled for a quiet

"Hmm?"

"How do you feel about family?"

Aela opened her eyes as she heard the creak. The slight beam of light from the flickering torch outside her now slightly ajar door shone in her eyes. She quickly closed them to appear asleep as they were covered by the shadow of a figure. The creak came again as her door was closed. This was followed by light footsteps as the figure approached her quietly. Under her covers Aela's hand closed on her dagger. The figure drew closer. Aela tensed. She jumped like a feral cat as the figure reached her bedside.

There was the sound of several dishes and food items hitting the floor as Aela pinned the possible attacker, dagger at the throat. The attacker was quicker than Aela, with hands around Aela's thighs the attacker flipped Aela over, now the figure was on top of Aela. The two struggled as Aela was laid flat, her attacker seemed to know her well. A little too well.

The attacker wasted no time as Aela felt the breath on her face; it wasn't a hostile scent as the attackers lips pressed forcefully against Aela's fighting yet with softness to Aela's shocked lips, she relaxed as soon as she felt the attacker's lips. Aela was embarrassed she had even fought against the attacker. The attacker broke the kiss with a sharp inhale.

"I could have killed you damn it!" Aela spat when she caught her breath after a few pants. The attacker chuckled as Aela laughed. The attackers hand quickly covered Aela's mouth as her volume increased.

Aela took a deep breath as the attacker lowered their nose to press against Aela's. The attacker removed their hand slowly and then pressed their lips down to Aela's again. This time Aela simply gasped with pleasure before returning the loving gesture.

Tai awoke to the growing familiar feeling of chains around his wrist. His eyes ventured the cave, brown and dark. Tai felt uneasy with a metal gate holding him in a cell, and chains holding him to the wall. He groaned blinking widely as he smelt cooked meat, his eyes landed on the roast goat with great joy. To his left was a natural rock pool of sorts, small enough to be a bucket yet it had a steady stream of water flowing through it. Tai looked to the furs he had been laying on, more comfortable than his bed with the companions.

All in all it wasn't a bad jail to be held in.

"Hello?" Tai called out simply, the sound of scurrying boots greeted his ears.

"Get Isran. The beast is awake!" the voices called, down a chain of people like Argonian whispers. Tai felt a bit insulted. They could at least learn his name before calling the headsman.

"I see you're awake, werewolf" a deep gruff voice rung. The voice of a haunted man, hate filled and sour. Tai couldn't see this man's face but he instantly felt he deserved respect.

"Sir. I would like to join the Dawnguard" Tai's voice was sincere. Somehow Tai's usual tone wouldn't have sat well with the man. The man seemed amused.

"Why should I allow it? You are an abomination upon this world. I should have killed you" The man, Isran spoke. Tai gulped.

"Because as a werewolf there is one thing I cannot tolerate. Vampires. Our goals work together, and as you've seen I am powerful" Tai shifted his feet as the man seemed to think.

"I have a job for you then. Dim hollow has been infested with vampires. I sent several warriors and none have returned. I want you to go see what is taking them so long, and kill all the abominations" Isran's order was answered with a smile from Tai.

Tai made quick work of the journey, arriving in four days on foot at Dimhollow. His stops along the way had been many, even on a mission. Upon killing the unfortunate women and men who displeased him Tai had travelled onwards.

The cave of Dimhollow was dark, death scented yet tinged with fear. Tai's eyes were wide as he viewed the old castle ruins in this cave. Once this would have been a great fort, now it was just another ruin in ancient Skyrim.

Tai stared at the expertly slain vampires lying dead next to some hound like creature with a large bottom jaw filled with large teeth. His eyes ventured to the open gate as his feet moved towards it. He shuddered at the chill in the air. His nose flared at the scent of death throughout Dimhollow. It was an unnatural place; it held a vampiric relic that Tai had to destroy. No matter what the cost.

Tai jogged quietly, his knees bent his haunches low to the ground. Tai had his sword out in his hand. Tai was smart with a blade, able to behead an opponent with a seemingly small flick of his wrist. His eyes however flicked from dead body to dead vampire. There had obviously been a mini war during his travels.

He jogged quickly through a web covered hall, his eyes darting between the dead frostbite spiders and the dead Dawnguard soldiers. His nose quivered with pleasure as he smelt the blood, human blood. Obviously more Dawnguard Soldiers were ahead. Tai didn't know how he viewed this. Isran had earned his respect, obviously or he would not have been on this mission. But the Dawnguard Troops were a completely different matter; most of them were cowardly farmers or deserters trying to make a quick coin hunting vampires.

"Bex" he whispered as he came to a closed gate. It opened for him quickly. The spider charged for Tai. Tai was sick of the bloody giant spiders attacking him every five minutes. Couldn't he have five minutes peace? He used his anger into a single shout.

"YOL!" the flame erupted from his mouth into the spiders body. It fell dead as Tai walked past, not even pausing as its legs twitched. He had had enough!

"I'll never tell you anything Vampire! My oath to the Dawnguard is stronger than any pain you can inflict upon me" A defiant woman's voice spat as Tai crept. As he looked over the crumbling fence he saw a large vampires foot kick the woman's neck, it broke. The vampire however caught on fire.

Tai winced at the screams as the vampire burned living dead. Now it was no longer even living dead. Now it was just dead.

Tai walked past the ash pile towards a strange stone circle, overlooking water as he crossed the single bridge onto this platform of sorts. The light from somewhere shone onto a single pedestal made of rock.

Braziers sat in trenches. Tai tried pushing one, it wouldn't budge. With an angry growl he walked to the pedestal and placed his hand over the top after a brief look at a dried red brown substance around its edges. Tai realized too late what it was. Blood.

He screamed as a spike erupted from the button, piercing through his hand before he could even flinch. Tai fell to his knees, his hand still impaled upon that spike.

The spike vanished as a purple glow shone through the trenches suddenly. Tai gripped his hand, suddenly aware of the lack of injury. He blinked in shock as he re pushed a brazier, it flew from his hand setting into a circle. Purple flames lit in it. Tai pushed on it again, this time it did not move. He grasped the idea. Roaming the circle Tai pushed each brazier into its rightful place, the flames showing him the right place to leave them.

He walked back to the pedestal as the floor dropped around it. Beneath it was a square casket of sorts, Tai was utterly shocked. He circled the thing curiously; this must be the relic he was meant to find, and destroy. He finally saw two sides had deep carvings in them. Tai pulled on those sides as he prepared to shout flames of destruction into the relic hidden inside. He had to stop himself as he saw what was inside.

It was a woman.