.
ROË
Bloodline
A cold, lonely path
She awoke. Felt alive. How was that even possible? She clearly remembered dying, her life fading as she tried to stay awake, Serana's cold hand in hers, equally cold. She'd died, she was certain of it.
Something was wrong though, she was awake, and experiencing her surroundings, but things were different. Her vision seemed a bit sharper than before, and when she moved her eyes, the image moved with it, but distorted somehow, as if all the shapes she saw flashed little saw teeth as they moved. The colours weren't right either. Colder, and more contrasted. She only saw the ceiling of the cave she was in, but she knew the colours weren't right. Not like they had been before.
And there was something else. Something she now became aware of. That pulse, so familiar that you no longer felt it when you were alive, and only became aware of it when it was gone. The familiar pulse of a heartbeat was gone.
So this was really happening. She'd succumbed to vampirism and joined the ranks of those horrors that had drained Gethor. And so many others. She was a monster now, an abomination, a walking dead that fed on the living, and that burned when the sunlight struck her. Would she have to spend her life – no, her unlife – fighting the monster inside her?
She sat up, surprised at how easily it went. Her muscles weren't tired. She wasn't even sleepy. As if she'd simply opened her eyes rather than awakened. She'd never be sleepy again, she supposed, and the thought made her immensely sad.
Where was Serana? How many hours had passed since her death and this unholy mockery of a resurrection? She got to her feet, again with surprising ease, and realized she was in a cave, probably dragged in there by Serana. Like a dead animal. She heard the wind howl outside, and what little light was in the cave, came from a lantern set on the ground a few metres farther.
Lanterns gave off yellow light, didn't they? This light was pale, white. Almost blue. The flame of the lantern looked cold instead of the warm yellow it was supposed to give off. Everything was just so cold.
A wave of sadness washed over Roë and she sat down again, hiding her face in her hands. She was dead. She walked, and saw, and felt, but it was all cold and dull. Nothing looked alive, not even the flame dancing behind the glass of the lantern. Dead. Cold and dead. It would be this way forever, and it felt as if she couldn't even remember what it had been like before. She didn't even have the memory left.
Her shoulders hitched, but much as she needed to, she was unable to cry. Even that had been taken from her. She tried again, trying to push the tears out, but... nothing. It was all gone, she was nothing but a shell.
Not like this, she thought to herself. Anything but this.
She snatched up the crossbow, loaded with a bolt, the string taut, and pushed the business end against her sternum. It would only hurt for one short moment, and then it would be over. All she had to do was pull the lever. That's all she had to do. One moment of courage to squeeze the mechanism, and then the bolt would crush her sternum and impale her dead, rotting heart.
Go on, she told herself. Before you turn into a monster.
But her fingers wouldn't obey. It wasn't a matter of courage, she was determined to end her own unlife, to transfix herself with the crossbow bolt and erase this abomination she had become. But her fingers, they simply refused. They refused to move.
"That won't work," a voice announced matter-of-factly behind her. "We've all tried it at least once. No easy way out for us."
Roë dropped the crossbow, ashamed at being seen like this, trying to turn a weapon on herself. Serana stood behind her, her mouth and chin smeared with blood, the remains of a hare on her hand.
The blood on Serana's chin was bright red. It was the only thing that had retained its former colour. A powerful thirst came over Roë and she felt herself compelled to leap at Serana and lick the blood from her face.
"Hey now," Serana said, looking amused. "Don't look at me like that. Look, I brought you one too."
Her other hand came up, holding another hare by the hind legs, this one still alive and struggling in her grip. "Figured you might be hungry."
Oh she was. Ravenous. She hadn't felt it until now, but she wanted it, needed it. She could hear the hare's tiny heart beat a rapid cadence of panic, hear its blood pump through its little veins.
"Catch," Serana simply said, and the hare flew toward her. Roë had never been the type to hunt and kill animals, but she caught the creature without any effort, her reflexes sharpened and her body moving exactly as she wanted it to. She only needed one hand to snatch the animal out of the air, and there it hung, upside down in her grip, whipping back and forth in the air.
"Now bare those little fangs," Serana said, "and feed. It's just an animal, so go ahead and drain it. Just like eating meat when you were alive."
The beating of the little heart became overpowering in her ears, and the entire world shrunk to just her and the hare. She knew that if she gave in, she would be taking another step from which there was no return. But she was hungry, so hungry, and all that mattered was the blood that ran inside this small creature, warm and rapturous.
Before she even knew what she was doing, her arm brought the hare to her mouth, and she felt her mouth opening, then her fangs sinking in, biting past the taste of the rodent's fur and crushing its little ribcage, splintering the bones and rupturing the organs beneath, the hot, rich blood spurting into her mouth and down her throat.
In terrifying ecstasy, she drank, gulping the red, living blood down her throat, swallowing it at a speed beyond any control or restraint, sucking the little thing dry until there was nothing more, and as she did so, the only thing she could do was realize what she had become, one thought calmly taking form amidst the uncontrolled ecstacy: There's no way back. This is what I've become, and this is what I'll remain, forever.
The hare was dry, its existence now completely meaningless, and Roë let it drop to the ground.
"I imagine you're absolutely terrified right now, aren't you?" Serana asked.
Roë could do no more than nod.
"Good," Serana said, giving a nod of her own. "It's good that you're scared. You should be. Too many new Vampires give themselves to their bloodlust, revelling in their new powers when they should be trying to control them."
"How do you... control this?" Roë asked, scooping the blood running from her chin up with her fingers and licking them clean even as she asked the question. "It... just happened, and there was nothing I could do. I tried to resist it, but..."
"You'll get better at it," Serana said with a smile. "Nobody has any control over the urge the first time. That's why I brought you a hare, and not a person. Fledglings without guidance, they sometimes make a human or elf their first prey, and... well, it doesn't end well."
"Why not?" Roë asked. "What's the difference?"
Serana chuckled without humour. "Wish I knew. But fact is, if you feed from a sentient being, you should never, ever kill when you feed. Animals are fine, but not people. Drink as much as you need, but don't kill."
Roë didn't understand. "Why? I mean, it's hard to imagine this... condition giving a damn if it's an animal or a person."
"It is, but that's the reality of it. So for now, we feed on animals only. Their blood's weak and can't sustain you for long, but it'll do for now. You'll need human blood as time goes on, but we need to wait until you have the urge under control."
"What... what happens if you kill a person?" Roë asked, already knowing the answer.
"Then," Serana said, "you become like the mindless, monstrous things you fought. Every time you overfeed, you become a little more like them. And every time it happens, it becomes even harder not to do it again." Serana looked dead serious, the look of aloof amusement on her face gone. "Never kill when you feed."
"I... never asked for this," Roë said, feeling the sadness wash over her again. She sat down again and hugged her knees. "This can't be happening. I had a life. I had a job. I had parents. Friends. A little corner house that was tiny but cozy... I don't deserve this."
Serana sat down beside her and Roë felt an arm around her shoulder. "Deserve's got nothing to do with it. And you're still you. I know you're feeling... well, there's no words for it, but I know you're feeling that way now. But you'll start over. Adapt to what you are. It becomes easier, trust me."
"I don't want it to be easier, I want it to be gone."
"Well, that's not an option, I'm afraid," Serana said bluntly. "Now, speaking of friends, weren't there people you needed to go and see?"
Yes. Yes there were. A flicker of hope flared up in Roë's chest, even though she realized all too well that it was vain hope. Maybe the Dawnguard could cure Vampirism if it had just taken someone. Maybe they knew someone who could.
Yes, they should go back to the Dawnguard. It was the only chance she had.
"You're right, they... they might know what to do," she said to Serana. "They... study Vampires. If anyone knows what to do, it's them."
Serana rose and crossed her arms. "What do you mean, 'what to do'? About what?"
Roë pointed at herself, "About this. Maybe they know of a way to cure it if it... you know, hasn't been too long yet."
"I wouldn't get your hopes up," Serana said matter-of-factly, "but the world's changed, so maybe someone found a way." She shrugged. "Wouldn't bet on it though."
Roë stood up as well, allowing that tiny flicker of hope to make her decisions for her, even though she knew it was a vain hope, knew it wasn't possible. "We have to try. Will you come with me?"
"Sure," Serana said. "I'm feeling responsible for what happened to you, and I still owe you a big one for getting me out of that sarcophagus. Let's go, nighttime's wasting."
They emerged from the cave into the cold air. The blizzard had stopped and the wind had died down for the most part, making the weather tolerable. "So," Roë asked, "is it true about daylight?"
Serana nudged her head down the road and they began walking. "Half true," she explained as they walked. "On the whole, you've become much stronger, faster and more durable than you were when you were human." She chuckled again, "Not that I really remember what that was like, but anyway, you're much, much harder to kill, and you have a much easier time killing those in your way."
"I thought I should never – "
"No, no," Serana interrupted her. They were walking down a mountain path under a sky strewn with stars. Roë couldn't even feel the awe she used to have when staring at the stars anymore. "Regular killing's fine," Serana told her. "Same as when you were human. Kill too many people, or for the wrong reasons, and you'll lose your mind, like everyone does. It's just when you feed that it's so much more dangerous. Anyway, you're much less vulnerable than you used to be."
"I was told there were really specific weaknesses Vampires... we Vampires have, though?" Roë asked.
Serana nodded. "Which way now?" Roë pointed to the east. No point trying to get to Dawnstar anymore. "Right. So yeah, there's lots of myths, but there are things you really need to look out for. Stuff that doesn't hurt us is all this folklore junk. Garlic? Pft. A holy symbol? Shove it right up their nethers," she said with a little laugh. "Running water? Hey, I bathe. Every chance I get."
"Right."
"Now, a beautiful sunrise? That's trouble. Fire? That's real trouble. Impalement? You catch a crossbow bolt to the heart and it's all over, kiddo."
Serana explained all she could to Roë as they walked, Roë listening intently, both to learn as much as she could, and to get her mind off this feeling of emptiness, of deadness inside of her. She had to believe the Dawnguard would know what to do, even though she knew it was in vain. The thing about sunlight had surprised her though. Serana had told her sunlight was immensely painful, and weakening, but it wasn't deadly unless you threw all caution to the wind. That meant she'd be able to see the sun again. Not often, but just a few seconds was better than what she'd feared. Serana had chuckled and told her to trust her, she wouldn't be that keen on seeing the sun anymore. Roë begged to differ. She had to.
Their path took them back east, to Fort Dawnguard. When dawn came, they holed up in an abandoned mine and spent the day there, their hunger slightly satisfied by the deer they'd shot and divided among each other. Roë dreaded to think what would have happened if Serana hadn't been there. If she'd had to face this all alone. And despite the miserable state she was in, she did enjoy her time with Serana, her light-hearted attitude making the agony of Roë's being bearable. Thank whatever gods that had abandoned her for Serana.
They awoke the next day, resuming their journey. They hadn't slept, just lain in a comatose state. Serana explained that Vampires no longer sleep, they can just lie down, close their eyes and awaken the next night, not feeling refreshed or enjoying the calm of sleeping and dreaming, but just... making the time pass more quickly. There were no more dreams, either, Serana said. Yet another small joy she'd never know again. Another brief respite she could no longer flee to.
Serana talked Roë's ear off, probably because she realized full well that Roë's mind shouldn't be left to wander, telling about herself, about how the world used to be before she was put away, about all the things she could think of, except one. When Roë had asked her how she'd become a Vampire, she'd looked away and said she didn't want to talk about it. Roë's attempt to press the issue had been met with a reaction that was almost outright hostility, so Roë had dropped the subject, and Serana had returned to her light-hearted self.
Another thing Serana had explained to Roë was how to hide her Vampirism. Vampires, at least the ones who retained their sanity and humanity, were able to pass for human if they were reasonably well-fed. If they concentrated on it, they could make humans believe they were one of them. Some perceptive types sometimes commented that they didn't like the eyes they had, or that there was a bad hunger to them. But they were never able to put their fingers on it. It helped, because in order to peacefully feed on humans, a Vampire needed to be able to pass for one of them.
Roë had had an easy time learning to use that ability, and had promptly advised Serana to use it when they reached Fort Dawnguard. "They'll need to be told gently," she'd said. Stretching the truth a bit. Still, they wouldn't hurt one of their own, even if that person wasn't the same as she had been when she took off. And the fact still stood that the Dawnguard could learn much from Serana (and now her too), so that the brute Vampires could be kept under control and there could be a peaceful solution to this whole conflict.
They came to the secret entrance, now even more glaringly obvious to Roë's Vampire senses, and found themselves on the steps leading to Fort Dawnguard. The same steps Roë had climbed a hundred lifetimes ago. With Kunod and Durak. Determined to fight the good fight and make the Vampires pay for Gethor. That she had to climb these stairs as one of Them now...
"Hey. Cheer up?" Serana pulled her from her thoughts. "Your friends might know of a way to help you, right?"
"Well, you too?" Roë assumed. "Right?"
"Me?" Serana laughed. "What makes you think I want to be helped? I already told you I'm fine with my condition. Learned to live with it. Well, 'unlive' with it, I guess."
"Do you ever get used to this?" Roë asked incredulously. How did you get used to feeling empty inside? To no longer knowing simple joys? To only see coldness and sharpness? To having to drain the blood of living things to survive? "I mean, do you really?"
Serana shrugged. "I did."
"Hold it right there."
Roë felt her muscles instinctively tense in fear when she saw the crossbow aimed at her chest. It seemed her body knew perfectly well what was dangerous and what wasn't. She knew the man, though, the bearded, long-haired Breton. It was the man Durak had hailed when they'd arrived, aeons ago. "Cer... Cerann?" she remembered with some difficulty. "It's me, uh, Roë. You know? The new girl?"
The man's eyes narrowed as he studied her in the light of the torch. Then he lowered the crossbow "Oh, right, hadn't recognized you. Not exactly an hour to expect a member returning."
"I came back as fast as I could. Is Isran up? There's someone he should see."
The man shrugged. "Maybe. He doesn't sleep much these days. Go on in, see for yourself. Sarafan, open the gate!"
A few seconds later, there was the sound of wood on wood as the bar was removed from the inside of the gate, and the enormous door was opened just enough for Roë and Serana to pass through.
"You sure that girl's... entirely normal?" the Breton asked as they went through. "Something... strange about her eyes."
"She's perfectly fine," Roë said, trying to sound as convincing as possible. Serana flashed her most harmless smile, looking absolutely beautiful as she did so.
"Mm. And by the way, it's Celann, not Cerann. Durak always gets it wrong."
"Oh. I'll keep that in mind, thanks."
They headed inside, greeted by a dour nod from a Dawnguard member Roë hadn't seen yet, and walked to the atrium.
"Strange place," Serana said. "You'd think they'd take a few minutes to remove the cobwebs." She tsk'ed. "Boys, huh?"
"They just got installed, actually. Still making the place ready for habitation."
"Roë!" a friendly voice echoed through the keep. "You're back!"
Before she could react, Kunod had grabbed her in a tight bear hug. He felt warm, magnetically so, and as he held her, she could hear his heart beat against her dead chest, hear the blood rush through his veins, and she felt her mouth open, unable to resist. But then he let her go and the feeling of pure lust vanished, snarling back into the depths of her being. "H... hello Kunod," she stammered, trying to get herself under control.
"You're ice cold, Roë. Come on, come sit by the fire, get warmed up."
"I'm... I'm fine. Uh, Kunod, this is Serana. Serana, Kunod. Isran around?"
Kunod made a short bow toward Serana, who obliged, and said to Roë, "Yes, he's pacing about somewhere. The... raid didn't go as planned. Lost a few people. He's been having trouble sleeping."
Serana frowned at Roë curiously. "Raid?"
"I'll explain later. Could you... go get Isran for us, Kunod? I think we'll... go sit by the fire after all." She had no intention of doing so, but Kunod would be more willing if he felt that his helpfulness was acknowledged.
Kunod nodded. "Of course. Go on, I'll be right back." He walked off in search of the Dawnguard's leader, and Roë and Serana found themselves alone in the main hall.
"Nice touch on the sitting-by-the-fire thing," Serana pointed out. She'd clearly picked up on Kunod's feelings towards her. "Thought you were gonna gobble him up right there when he hugged you though."
"It... was close. Why do I get these urges? I don't want to hurt him. I shouldn't want to hurt him. He's my friend."
Serana shook her head. "No friends, not anymore."
"You're... you're my friend though, right?" Roë asked, dreading the answer more than she wanted to.
But Serana nodded and said, "Insofar as we can still make friends, yes."
"Now, I should tell you about these people. Like I said, they study Vampires. But they think all Vampires are like those brutes you mentioned. If we can show them that you c... that we can be reasoned with, then maybe we can help find a peaceful way to resolve this conflict."
"Oh ho ho," she laughed. "You better keep that to yourself when we go see my father. He's not a man of peaceful solutions."
"Really?" Roë asked. "You'd think – "
"Our new member returns," Isran's voice echoed through the main hall. He was walking toward them, his arms outstretched. "Good to see you're safe. Really." He held out both his hands and Roë awkwardly took them, feeling another urge rise up as she felt the warmth of his hands. Then he let go and it was gone again. "I'm anxious to hear your report, but tell me first, who is this lovely creature accompanying you?"
Roë let Serana introduce herself, then said, "Isran... can we talk? In private? And... freely?"
Isran's eyes went to Serana, and then back to Roë. There was suspicion in them, clear and plain.
"Something wrong?" Roë asked.
Isran studied them for a moment longer, then smiled and said, "No, not at all. But uhm... you must be tired. Please, ladies, you should rest. Your report can wait until morning."
"But I thought – "
Isran's smile widened. "Please, I insist. You've walked so far, it's three in the morning. It'd be selfish to let you report now. You need to rest first. You know where your chamber is... Roë, was it?"
"Uh, yes, I've been there."
"Good. Head on upstairs then, freshen yourself up and get a few hours of sleep. The room next to you is empty, so... Serana? Serana, yes. That room is at your disposal. Please, rest, and we'll talk tomorrow."
"But – "
Isran put his hand on Roë's shoulder. "I insist, Roë. I feel bad over asking for your report before letting you get some shut-eye. I'm just really tense, with the recent loss we had." He remembered himself. "But I'll tell you about that in the morning," he added hastily. "Go on, off with you."
Roë could do nothing but comply. This man clearly wasn't going to let it go, and if they had to wait a few more hours before being able to talk, then so be it. Pushing it would be unwise. "Alright then. Try to get some sleep of your own, Isran?"
He chuckled. "There won't be much sleep for me tonight. Trust me."
Roë led Serana up the stairs and as she did so, Serana repeated, in a comically exaggerated voice, "'Roë, was it?' They must consider you a valued member to their society."
"Go ahead, laugh it up," Roë smiled back. "I'm actually pretty new, and they sent me out on a mission right away. They thought it was a wild goose chase."
"Heh. Were they ever wrong. Anyway, I suggest we try to 'sleep' until the evening. If anyone asks, we'll simply say we were really tired."
Roë nodded. "Good plan."
This was her room. She'd only been in there for a few hours, resting a bit before heading out to, well, where she'd found Serana. And her own end. She threw down her backpack and showed Serana to her room – at least, what Roë thought was her room. Turned out almost all the rooms in her corridor were empty. Not too many women in the Dawnguard.
She told Serana to pick the room opposite hers and wished her goodnight. Heh, what a joke. Good night.
Sitting on her bed, hugging her knees, Roë felt the sadness creep over her again. These people wouldn't be able to help her. They wouldn't know a cure. Maybe they'd be able to give them insight on the Vampires and show them they could be reasoned with, but a cure, that was too much to hope for. It had been pointless coming here, at least for that. She'd be like this forever, until she was put down, or until she became a twisted, ravenous beast. She didn't even bother trying to end her unlife again. It wouldn't work, like Serana had said.
Three light raps on the door. "Roë!"
"Serana?"
"Open up, hurry!"
Roë did so. Serana stood in the hallway, looking skittishly up and down.
"What's wrong?"
"Voices," she said. "Below us. A lot."
They were right above the main hall, so she figured it was normal to hear the occasional voice. Roë hadn't heard anything, but given Serana's age and power, it was possible she could hear things Roë couldn't. "There's people below us, it's not – "
"No, Roë. I know those kinds of voices. These aren't people talking. Come on, get into my room. Hurry."
Not understanding, Roë obliged. "Serana, what in Oblivion is going on?"
Serana set the door slightly ajar and peered out. "Those were the voices," she whispered, "of people getting ready for combat."
"Combat? Against whom?"
Serana's impatient, you-must-be-very-thick look answered the question. "What? Come on, they know me, they won't just – "
"Shh. Listen."
Roe shut up and cocked her head. Indeed, there was the sound of boots coming up the stone stairs. They were trying to keep quiet, but her senses were sharper since she'd died, and she could hear every tick of every sole on the stone, every clink of every armour link, every rustle of fabric.
"Come on," Serana said. "We've gotta get out of here."
"Out of here?" Roë hissed. "How are we going to – "
"Window." Serana glided to the window and opened it up, sticking her head out. "We're in luck, this window has a pulley just above it. If we can climb up there, we can get to the roof. Should be a way down from there." In her posh and rather unwieldy noble outfit, Serana put one knee on the windowsill and climbed out, until only her boots were visible, and then those too disappeared upwards.
"Damn it they're not here!"
"They knew! They fucking knew!" It was Isran's voice. "Search this floor! Don't try to catch them alive, they're too dangerous."
"But what if – " She knew that voice too, it was young and insecure.
"No!" Isran again. "The person you knew is gone. She's one of them now, and we need to protect ourselves from us, and lead her to a peaceful rest. Now search the floor!"
The sound came from Roë's room, across the hall. Damn, Serana had been right! Damn it to Oblivion, they had to move! She followed Serana, putting one knee on the windowsill and hoisting herself up until she stood upright, hanging outside as the wind buffeted her, looking for handholds on the wall, and then spotting the protruding beam of the pulley. She snatched for it, but her feet lost purchase and she slipped, grabbing hold of the top of the window for balance.
"They're over here! They're getting away!" The young man's voice again. Roë briefly ducked her head under the windowsill, and saw the newest Dawnguard recruit, Agmaer, standing in the doorway, a crossbow at the ready.
"Cack!" Roë snarled, pushing herself off with her feet and throwing her arms around the pulley. Before she could pull her legs up, an explosion of pain blasted through her leg, just above the left knee. "OWWWW!" she shrieked, realizing she sounded more indignant and truly in pain, and then she pulled her legs up, boosting herself up and snatching Serana's hand, which quickly pulled her up to the roof.
"He shot me in the leg, damn it," Roë cursed, sitting on her ass and cupping the wound, the crossbow bolt still embedded in her leg. The roof was flat, with waist-high parapets set around it to provide cover to soldiers firing bows at the attackers below. The wind blew hard at this height, howling around them, pulling at their clothes and hair.
"They've gone to the roof! Go around! Stairwell!" Isran shouted below them.
"Stairwell, my ass," Agmaer's voice muttered, and Roë heard the scraping of a body against stone below her. He was going to climb onto the roof same way they had.
"Come on, we have to move," Serana said curtly, then closed her fingers around the crossbow bolt and pulled it free before Roë even realized what was about to happen, causing another explosion of pain. Roë let out an angry "Aarh!", but Serana merely said, "Come on. Bite the pain, you can use that leg perfectly fine," and tossed the bolt away.
"Are you kidding me?" Roë asked. "It just got impaled by a crossbow bolt!"
"You're not human anymore, Roë," Serana shouted, standing over Roë, her hair flapping in the wind. "Injuries just hurt, they no longer paralyze your muscles or make them lose strength. Now come on."
Roë got to her feet and realized that yes, indeed, there was only pain, but the muscles themselves still worked perfectly fine.
"Stop right there!" Agmaer stood behind them, still holding his crossbow. "Hands where I can see them!"
"Your crossbow's not loaded, boy," Serana said calmly. "Come on, Roë, before the others – "
Roë did not believe what happened next. The boy threw down his crossbow and charged straight at them, body-slamming into Roë and bowling her over. They crashed to the ground, more pain blasting up from Roë's injured leg, and then the weight was lifted off her, Serana throwing the boy off her like he was weightless.
"He's stalling us," Serana shouted, almost inaudible above the howling wind. The boy smacked to the stones of the flat roof and immediately sprung back to his feet, drawing his axe. He wasn't giving up.
"I got this," Roë said, and moving even faster than she realized, she gave Agmaer a powerful left-right punch combo to the face. The boy staggered back, and Roë let the strength of her dead body flow through her, and she leapt in the air, letting out a loud growl of "Rwah!", and swinging her leg in a powerful, flying roundhouse kick that connected perfectly with the side of his face.
Agmaer staggered back, stumbling from the hard kick to his face, trying to keep from falling over. As he stumbled, his backside hit the crenels of the battlement, and he went over.
"No!" Roë shrieked, but it was too late. They heard a surprised cry, cut short by a hard smack. Oh no. She'd sent the boy falling to his death. Oh no, no, no.
"Come on, Roë! They'll be here any second!" Serana took her by the sleeve and pulled her forward. They descended from the roof safely to the floor, four storeys below.
"I... I..."
"Too late! There'll be a lot more dead people if we don't go," Serana shouted over the howling wind.
"I d... didn't mean to... to hit him so hard..." Roë stammered, but Serana pulled her sleeve again and her feet got moving.
"Down here!" Serana pointed to a small turret nestled into the side of the keep. It was three metres below them. "You can make the jump, don't worry."
"No way, that's way too – "
There was a hard shove in her back and she was propelled over the battlement, yelping as she went down, flailing her arms and trying to stay upright. Her body hit the turret's inclined roof with a hard smack, and it felt like her body was flattened. Then she slid down the shingles and fell again, but this time some instinctual ability made her body somersault and land perfectly on its feet. There was a blast of pain from her injured leg, but it absorbed the fall just fine. She rolled with the fall, making a single tumble and finding herself back in a kneeling position. Serana landed next to her, gracefully and effortlessly.
She laughed, looking up at the keep. "Wish I could see their faces when they realize they have to run all the way down again."
"Oh, Y'ffre, look what I've done..." Roë heard herself whine as she saw the body.
Agmaer lay sprawled on the ground. There was no blood, apart from a narrow rivulet that had issued from his ear, and a red stain in his blonde hair, but he was dead, his eyes wide open, looking sightlessly at the cloudy night sky. His pa's axe lay a few metres further.
"There! Fire! Shoot them!"
Roë felt Serana throw herself against her, and the crossbow bolts fired from the battlements missed their targets, clacking on the stones, cutting through the space Roë and Serana had occupied only moments ago. "Come on," Serana said. "We have to run!"
Roë took one last look at Agmaer and ran along with Serana.