Hadvar VI
The small council gathered to talk over the trouble in Morthal.
"Falk, what is going on there that would make Gorm want to depose the Jarl?"
"Nothing that I can think of. A house burned down recently, but that's been the only thing of note from that hold in recent memory."
"Could it be that he is worried over the Jarl's son?" Sybille asked.
"The seventeen year old will do no harm to anyone." Captain Aldis answered his lover.
"Aye, but that doesn't mean that the Nord isn't paranoid. Most of my people don't trust mages. The boy has some uncontrolled magic." I interjected.
"Agreed, but Morthal is the only loyal hold I have left. I can't let this housecarl get rid of the Jarl or fail in his rebellion and send Jarl Idgrod to the Stormcloaks." Jarl Elisif spoke finally.
After some time deliberating on what to do, she decided that Aldis, Sybille, and I would be sent to Morthal to see what could be done.
Aldis would see about calming Gorm down or even replacing him, I would be looking at the situation as a whole trying to find the cause of the disconnect between Jarl and Housecarl, and Sybille would be testing Joric to see what needed to be done with him.
We packed and left for Morthal immediately, and the ride passed by quickly thanks to the company I was in.
Morthal was a bleak place. Dreary, swamp land that would be the location of horror stories.
Our wagon let us out on the outskirts of town, our driver refused to enter. Things only went downhill from there. As we walked to the inn we encountered a man who wanted to fist fight. When Aldis asked why the man replied," Morthal used to be such a quiet town, back when the world made sense."
"So now you are just spoiling for a fight?" I looked at the Nord.
"I'm hoping some adventurer will come through, and decide he likes how I fight and take me with him."
"Well what's wrong with Morthal?" Sybille asked.
"Well the Jarl does little for Morthal these days, and if you ask me we would be better off without that wizard."
"Wizard, we didn't know Jarl Ravencrone had a court wizard." Aldis looked confused.
"No, she doesn't. It's a Redguard. He moved here about five years back, but the people here hate him. Right after he got here, he adopted an orphan girl and is teaching her all sorts of magic. Rumor has it, her and the Jarl's boy want to run off to Winterhold together. Good riddance." At this the man spit on the ground.
We continued on past the belligerent Nord, and all split.
That night as we sat around our table at the inn, we discussed what we had found.
"I talked to Steward Aslfur, he is going to watch out for Gorm. He is trying to investigate who all Gorm thinks is willing to rebel. I also met with the Legate here. He is bringing some men to guard the Jarl, "Aldis told his part.
"And I have met with Joric and the girl, Agni." Sybille briefly spoke.
"And?" I asked.
"Joric has incredible potential. He needs to be in Winterhold. He has more than 'the Sight' his mother has. He can be a skilled Mage."
"And the girl?" Aldis asked.
"Well she has less potential, but she is very adept in Conjuration. This Falion, he is a skilled Conjuration Mage. He has taught her well."
"Does he need to go to the college?" I inquired.
"Well there is the problem. His older sister is due to be wed to Edric Stormcloak, heir to Windhelm whenever this war ends. That makes him the heir to Hjaalmarch. If he is a Mage his people will not care for him, especially not a college trained Mage."
"What of the girl?" I asked.
"Well she has a damn good teacher now, but I think she could do with a more rounded education. I think she could do well there." Sybille answered.
"And you, Hadvar?" Captain Aldis asked for what I had learned.
I cleared my throat," Well I found why the town is so discontent. Falion has been going into the swamps in the dead of night to perform some ritual and everyone is spooked. Secondly, the Jarl's son Joric was caught in bed with Falion's ward, so people now are saying the Jarl is in bed with the Mage who conducts dark rituals. Although there is no evidence whatever he is doing is for ill-purpose. There was a fire that killed a woman and her daughter. The husband almost immediately shacked up with another woman. When I talked with the woman, she tried to seduce me. After observing her, I had to keep my distance or she would know I was there, I believe she is a vampire and the husband is her thrall."
"Well that's unexpected." Aids sighed. He looked to Sybille. "How would you suggest we go about this?"
"Well we need to be careful. If we attack this seductress then her thrall will try to defend her. He is a somewhat innocent man. We need to avoid hurting him."
"Aye, but how do we go about killing the vampire? I know the stories aren't true. It isn't a stake through the heart, or silver, or holy water." I asked.
"Well I know fire is effective. But she would scream loudly, alerting the town." She said.
"You really don't know how to fight your own kind?" I looked at her, disbelief coating my voice.
"I have done my best to avoid any other vampires since I was first turned." She glared at me.
"Oh." I looked down at my bowl of stew in shame.
Just then a large Orc wondered over from the bar, at his side stood a Breton man.
"We couldn't help but overhear your conversation." The Breton smiled. The man was an attractive one, Alva would definition try to seduce him.
"We are the Dawnguard. We hunt vampires. We are here because we are hunting a powerful vampire leader."
"Alva?" I asked.
"No, not the blond lass." The Breton answered. "Morvarth. He is an older, ancient vampire. When we were the Vigil we tracked him from Cyrodiil to Morthal. We lost him in the swamps, and the Vigil called us back to base.
"Morvarth." Sybille's eyes grew to saucer size.
"Sybille?" Aldis reached for her hand.
"He was the one who bit me. I am this way because of him." She muttered, barely audible. However the Dawnguard heard her and drew steel.
"Damn vampire. May Stendarr have mercy for I have none." The Breton raised his axe when Aldis fist crunched into his cheek.
"Not in my inn!" The Redguard behind the counter yelled.
"Peace, Dawnguard." I help both hands in the air. "She means you no harm."
"How do we know we can trust you, or her?" The Orc growled.
"We are part of Jarl Elisif the Fair's small council." I stated.
"Is that a badge of honor? We care nothing for the politics." The Breton said while wiping blood off his face. Aldis had split the skin on the Breton's cheek.
"I don't wish this on anyone. If I knew how to cure myself I would." Sybille said. Her voice was low.
"Did you not know that the cure is here in Morthal?" The Orc laughed, it was a cruel laugh given the circumstance.
"I knew of no cure."
"The Redguard Fallion, he can cure vampirism."
"Well, then. I will have to check into that, but let's wait until after we help the town." Sybille weakly smiled.
"No, go now or I'll put you out of your misery," the Orc reached for his axe.
"Look, we have to fight a bunch of vampires. I would rather go in with vampirism and have the positive effects it gives, instead of curing myself and being weaker and unadjusted to my abilities then contract vampirism again and have to get cured again.
"Durak, she actually makes sense." The Breton spoke up.
"Fine, but let's get this over with." He grunted and headed for the door.