Chapter 21 - Settled

"We drink to our youth, to days come and gone
For the age of Aggression is now nearly done"

– Quote, Song – Age of Aggression

The second time around Tai didn't feel as sick. His stomach churned, his head spun for a minute. Serana however pulled him closer to her, and then weaselled her shoulders under his arm. Tai flinched, his gut screaming his head was been foolish. His head however wanted him to flee. Flee from Serana.

"Just for a moment. It'll help" she whispered in a tone thick with the knowledge of Tai's inner struggle. Her further right hand rested on his belly as she weaved her left hand fingers through his hair, eventually a fingertip touching his temple. Tai nodded weakly, the chiming sound of magic suddenly rushing through him. He knew magic all made the sound, but Serana's seemed older, more melodic.

The black rock was illuminated by the glowing blue, diamond like, boulders surrounding them. There was snow on the air as the temperature drastically cooled. Tai felt Serana shiver, Tai was also resiting the cold as best he could, his teeth chattering.

"It's freezing" Tai shuddered; Serana fixed him with a look.

"Then stop talking and wasting all your hot air"

"You always complain. Followed by your cold hands man handling my chest" Tai held back laughter at Serana's reply. He had to admit, he talked a fair deal.

"How else can I touch you without expectations? Besides, I enjoy the look you get on your face. The little nose twitch, it's cute" Serana was chuckling in reply, Tai stared at her.

"I am not cute" Tai answered, mortally offended. Tai had never been called cute in his entire life.

"Calm down, little wolf cub. The savage attempt isn't flattering. Now we should actually get moving, instead of debating your looks" Serana grinned at Tai as she lectured. Tai tried to think of something to say, he came up blank. Serana chuckled, she was clearly the dominate of this debate. Tai sighed his surrender as Serana's magic ended.

"You bit me" Tai sulked, earning an inquisitive gaze from Serana. Her eyes ventured to his scarred arm, then she grinned, flashing her perfectly formed teeth. Tai was reminded of why he was furious with her. He knew her fangs hurt, and she bit a child. Tai shuddered.

They continued together through the passage, they couldn't see the sky as dust fell like snow from the roof. The roots dropped from the roof as Tai crouched. Serana didn't need to crouch, she laughed softly as Tai cursed softly.

Their feet hit rock again as Tai stared over an edge. He swallowed, then closed his eyes and shuffled out on the thin ledge. He followed the wall against his back, still clamping his eyes closed. When his foot hit a triangle feeling shape He opened his eyes.

There was a thin path leading up and a large pit dropping down. Tai looked to Serana, she nodded quietly. Tai placed his hand gently against the rock for a minute before he started following the path upwards.

He mumbled bitterly as the snow began to flutter, he knew he was close to the surface. Another turn around then they came to the free air. Tai's heart dropped as he starred into the white sky, the snow thickly blanketing the ground began to weave its way down his legs and into the very sole of his boots.

Serana's moan of distress was cooler than the snow as she trenched through. Her height suddenly a disadvantage. She crunched onwards, stealth useless in the crisp, fresh snow. Her hands closed around the rocks as she pulled herself up slowly, Tai's hand closed around her wrist and yanked her up. Serana yelped, her breathing heavy from shock.

"Thank you" her voice shook. Tai nodded as they stared across the snow covered landscape, a vale within the surrounding mountains. A vale long forgotten by time.

"Now down" Tai mumbled, looking over the cliff uneasily. Serana stared at him with a slight unease in her face. Tai stared as it deepened to fear; finally he was forced to break his silence.

"Are you alright?"

"I can get us down in under half the time it will take to scour the cliff faces" Serana mumbled, staring down, the steep, cloud covered drop into the vale. Tai nodded.

"I was going to go wolf, carry you down"

"I can half that time" Serana whispered, she was looking everywhere but him. Tai felt the knot in his gut as he pressed her further.

"How?"

"Tai… I could. I'm not sure I should" Serana dragged her voice out nervously.

"How, Serana? If it's going to hurt you then forget it" Tai took the step to Serana, he wrapped his hands gently around her shoulders. He bent his knees, lowering himself to catch Serana's eye. Serana placed her hand gently on Tai's chest.

"It's ok. Serana, whatever it is I don't care. I love…" Tai's words were cut off as Serana pushed him away, stumbling backwards desperately.

"Stop. Just stop" Serana gasped, Tai stared at her in shock.

"Serana what is wrong with you? Since the festival we've been strange. We came good again, but every time I try to kiss you or anything you seem so… like you need to convince yourself to love. If you don't, if it was impulse, then for the love of Mara just tell me! There are moments, but I'm not sure. Just… don't play with me" Tai broke out, Serana stared at him with her eyes colder than the snow, yet burning like Tai's blood.

"Playing you? You think I'm some common slut? Tai for the grace of my ancestors… I don't know anything about love!"

"You're saying what exactly?"

"My mother never taught me how to love. Father never showed me how to feel. Mother never showed me how to touch nor father to heal! I can't deal like you seem to think I can. I learned nothing, except what I've learned from you. Do you know how it feels to walk around without allowing your emotions to be free? I've survived Tai, never lived, never loved. You dare say I'm playing you? Flaw in the warriors logic, I don't know how to play you!"

"Serana… I didn't mean it the way it sounded. I forget, true. I'm not running away though, holding back, yes, but running? No. That's you!" Tai started softly, before escalating into yelling once more. Serana glared, her skin rippling.

"I do not run from anything"

"Except me. Except your own happiness. Face it Serana, you run from the fact you're afraid" Tai shook his head, Serana snarled as she closed the distance again. Her vampiric hand closed around Tai's neck.

"Run from this then" she growled, Tai also shed his human form. The wolf erupted out to play.

"You want to do this? Every time I've saved you Serana. I'm stronger"

"I'm awake" Serana glared down into the suddenly shocked Tai.

In his wolf form he saw something behind her eyes, he had always seen it but it was only now he fully understood it. He saw Coldharbor. Serana had to survive, continue running from what burned inside her daily. Tai knew his own form to reflect the moon, the uncontrollable. Serana's reflected the sun, and everything that could be destroyed.

Serana released his throat, snarling deeply as Tai stumbled backwards, dropping as he choked. Serana hissed again, challenging Tai. He never wanted a fight, but the wolf within him raged at the dishonour of sparing Serana, she was his prey. Tai stalked; with a snarl he began the hunt.

He leapt at Serana, claws blazing. He was shocked to find his claws slash through air. Serana had vanished. Tai sniffed, nose flaring. He was grabbed. Tai yelped as Serana dragged him by the scruff of his neck into a lock of sorts. Her arms laced around his joints, hands coming around the back of his neck. She effectively held him stretched out. Tai snarled, driving his back claws down her legs desperately.

Serana released him without a single noise of pain, her eyes however darkened. He waited for Serana to act, she shocked him by laughing.

Tai launched again, driven beyond mad by her taunting. Serana gripped his arm with her feet as Tai tackled her to the crunching, snow covered ground; she managed to pull him into another stretch as she bent his arm around his back with a snarl. She then drove her claws into his back several times.

Tai was already exhausted somehow and in terrible pain, Serana was almost asleep, picking him apart. Tai had not expected Serana to have this effect in combat. She had always seemed so fragile, relying on magic. Yet she stood there, in vampiric form, outmatching Tai in a simple defensive style. He saw the fire flash through Serana's eyes as he lashed at her covering cloth, tearing it from her chest with a snarl. In her vampire lord form, he instantly wished he hadn't revealed her aged, green breasts.

She snarled with controlled rage. Tai had just managed to irritate Serana. He pressed the advantage, raking his claws down her torso, earing whimpers and screams from Serana as he pressed her towards the cliff edge, she may have been fading but her rage grew.

"Enough games" She hissed, rising from the ground elegantly. Her bone wings flapped the snows aside in their fury, the magic formed around her hands as she threw a red ball into Tai's chest. Instantly he fell to his belly, whining desperately. Serana's spell knocked all the fight from him. Serana then gripped her hand around a second spell; Tai felt his body dragged into the air to meet her.

"Do you surrender?" She asked quietly, Tai spat a curse in her face. Serana brought her paw to his face, not aggressively as Tai expected, but soft. He shuddered; he still loved the feel of her hands, even in the ugly form she chose currently.

"Please Tai. Just surrender. I don't want to hurt you anymore"

"Go to Coldharbor, you damn tavern wench" Tai instantly regretted his words.

Serana's eyes saddened as she released the spell. Tai hurtled towards the ground, with horror he realised Serana had just dropped him from the cliff. He didn't feel himself hit the ground as his body jarred. The blackness of the void followed.

Tai woke weakly, lying in a soft bed of furs. The snow still covered the grounds outside, however he instantly realised the cave he was in had been cleared. A fire crackled between the snow and the back wall. He looked, realising the care that had been taken to protect the cave from any wind that could blow the embers into him. Tai blinked, his pillow moving up then down ever so slightly in time.

It took Tai a few moments to realise his pillow was Serana's stomach. Her knees were bent around his shoulders; her elbows embraced him as she rested her hands under her head. She had used herself to block the snow.

"Serana?" he asked weakly.

"That's how falling feels. It's scary at first, but since I met you that's how I've been living. It never gets easier. Falling into unknown after unknown" Serana whispered. Tai placed his hand over her elbows gently.

"Why do we keep fighting?" he couldn't help ask, Serana sighed.

"I think, it's because we're not been a hundred precent honest with each other"

"What haven't I told you?" Tai asked. His gut knotted.

"She couldn't know… Could she?"

"What Molag Bal said" Serana answered blandly. She knew alright. Tai realised he was a fool to believe otherwise, he sighed sadly.

"I didn't want to scare you"

"And trying to kill me up there wasn't scary to me?" Serana was obviously not in the mood to dance around Tai's excuses.

"Can you accept I was afraid to lose you?" Tai avoided the last question posed by Serana. He wasn't going to admit that he was not in full control. For his sake, he couldn't.

"I've seen you freak out at bugs, and you think that you been scared of a Deadric Prince would lower my opinion of you? You really are thicker than Farkas" Serana sighed, Tai grinned like his brother. Tai definitely had his Farkas moments, especially with spiders.

"I was scared you would run as well. I know you're strong, but emotionally it's like you're running from… well, me"

"If I had wanted to escape, do you think I would be here?" Serana challenged him, Tai winced.

"I don't understand you. You're my unknown" Tai threw her words back, he always did that. Throwing Serana's word back, he thought made her feel listened too. He meant the words though, Serana was something different to anything he had loved. Serana softened beneath him again.

"I'm right here. If you don't believe me…" Serana somehow reached around him and grabbed his hand. With no pause she slid his hand from her elbow, guiding it to her chest; Tai's hand naturally obeyed her command, clawing slightly over her heart. Tai swore he felt Serana tense beneath him, pulse even.

"Are we good?" Tai asked again. He wanted to complete the quest before anything else, Serana sighed, a truly wifely disapproving sigh.

"Get your big head off me and yes"

Tai rose to a sitting position, instantly Serana's cold hands wrapped around his shoulders, a hug from behind. Tai felt cheated as he squirmed, finally lacing one massive arm around her.

"No more secrets" Tai spoke seriously, catching Serana's eye. She nodded and smiled.

"No more secrets" she echoed him, her eyes however told of the lie. Tai grinned. He knew Serana thought he meant literally, not in the sense he meant. Nothing big to be hidden, anything toxic. Smaller things, even Tai had his secrets. One he needed to share.

"Um. Serana… Have you been itching lately? Since the festival?"

"Where?"

"Personal areas" Tai said awkwardly. Serana's eyes went wide.

"Tai... Do you have a disease?" she sounded horrified, something else was emanating from her. She was heavy on her control.

"I'm asking y... Serana?" Tai started worried, but Serana's explosive laughter caused Tai to question. Serana rolled; laughing like it was the funniest thing she had ever seen.

"Your face!" She gasped out. Tai glared.

"My face?"

"Priceless. Oh Tai!" Serana laughed, Tai coughed. Serana straightened up, getting to her feet, Tai still had to crouch, Serana had been selective.

"What did you do?" His tone trailed out deeply. Serana sighed, wiping a laughter tear aside.

"I rubbed poison ivy down your underwear" Serana sighed, dancing a few steps back from Tai's furious.

"WHAT! That's why I have a rash?"

Serana broke out laughing again.

Tai shuffled in the armour Serana had found for him, on the body of a former adventurer. It fit well, but it was quite heavy. Serana however seemed quite pleased with herself as she stalked around him. Tai rolled his eyes.

"Admiring me again?"

"I could have done that when you were busy been unconscious. I think the armour highlights your strength. Like your brothers" Serana sighed, Tai jumped to look her in the eye.

"Did you just say I look like my brother?"

"Yes, somewhat. Not as dull as Farkas, yet not as clean and cold as Vilkas" Serana pondered, Tai grinned. He found he liked the complement, he instinctively straightened. He didn't expect Serana's smile, but he earned it as he gave the air a jab.

"Alright show-off. Let's go"

Tai nodded, happily rolling his shoulders as Serana led from the old ruin they had paused in, still remaining out of his reach. Tai guessed he had shaken her more than she was letting on. They walked calmly, Serana's eyes suddenly pinned the next Wayshrine.

"Over there" Serana pointed, Tai looked and grinned. How she spotted the shrines so easily Tai had no idea. Tai ran behind Serana, his armour clunking a bit too loudly for Tai's liking. Then he heard the sound over his armour. Tai's body froze for one instant as he stared down the passage; the mist wafting from it carried a scent he knew well. Serana's nose also flared.

"More spiders? I liked the ones at home better" Serana complained loudly as the forms of the large spiders appeared in the sunlit fog, burning like the brightest fire.

Tai growled, hoisting the axe he found with both hands. Its weight bullied his muscles, begging him to release, but Tai refused. He continued sprinting; arms weighed down by the axe, a spider also began to charge. They met halfway, briefly, before Tai swung his axe down through the spiders head. He yelped, leaping for the wall as Serana shot the second.

Tai leapt off the wall, drawing a fourth spider's attention. He reached, his hands closing around the old, worn handle of a mace. Tai pulled down, watching the first spider been flattened by the forth. Tai pulled, the mace somehow coming free from the web as Tai finished his fall. He drove the mace into the spider's skull, splitting it open like a wall nut, and leaving the remaining spider pinned. Serana shot a final ice spike through the spider, leaving the spiders all dead as Tai huffed. Serana grinned.

"Teamwork" She smiled, offering her hand for a high five. Tai simply wrapped an arm around her shoulders and laughed his relief. Oblivious they continued through the pass, coming to an overlooking peak to a frozen lake. Tai and Serana didn't take the time to admire the scenery as they stumbled up the slight hill to a Wayshrine.

"Welcome Initiate, you have reached the Wayshrine of learning"