Tenaya tossed and turned through most of the night. Nothing brought her the comfort of a good nights sleep anymore. Nightmares constantly invaded her memories or the aches of a battle scar from long ago. Tonight provide to be no different with the thoughts of Draugr fighting their way in to her home for some reason.
"Pull yourself together Tenaya." She yelled trying to get back to sleep without more tears.
Thunder echoed in the distance. How she hated storms and all the nightmares they brought. Skyrim never had these storms she told herself, but she wouldn't go back. The chill from the rain didn't ease the aches or the nightmares. The dream came back again but this time, she lived her past in the worst of ways.
Tenaya watched herself leave Skyrim with a heavy limp and a stomach wound still oozing blood when she moved the wrong way. The armor sat on the ground along with her freshly crafted sword, intended for a gift of a particular person. That person didn't deserve it now, she deserved to be run through instead.
Her twitching in bed made it worse. She managed to get sucked into the dream whether she wanted to or not. The groans and mumbles came out loudly.
She left Skyrim four years ago after losing hope for being happy again. It wasn't the untimely death of her companion, Deris, who died in battle with Alduin. The famed Dragonborn brought her along after she saved his life twice in the same cavern.
He looked after her, taught her everything he could. She followed blindly for two years until he died in the penultimate fight. Alduin lay on the ground and he did shortly after. That knowledge bestowed served her well. She became the sought-after mercenary of the lands. She didn't do it for the gold even though it helped. She helped those who needed it. The gold only bought her houses and armor to continue her goal of helping those in need.
Her time flew quickly in Skyrim and before she knew it, she celebrated her twenty-third birthday with little fanfare. She took the contract to clear out vampires from Dimhollow crypt for the Dawnguard. She didn't believe in their cause as much as she liked the idea of removing evil from the world. The one thing she did well was bring death to those who deserved it.
Luck brought her someone else, someone who would alter her life whether she liked it or not. The spike brought her more pain than the dragons did. Once the puzzle finished, the monolith came with a set of stairs. As she approached it opened to reveal someone inside with an Elder Scroll of all things.
Fate showed her something new that day. Fate brought her to this woman, a woman named Serana. The lack of trust vanished quickly when she saved her life from a Draugr Deathlord. Serana barely made it out and the slicing of her own wrist proved it.
For a year they adventured together. Against the advice of the Dawnguard leader Isran, she ventures with Serana and picked up a companion on the way to make their squad, Benor. The mess in Morthal made things worth the time.
As it came to an end, Tenaya had her world turned upside-down. Harkon sat dead on the floor before the three of them. It took everything they had to bring his death. The entire clan pretty much died at their hands. What should have been a warm embrace turned in to a bloodbath.
Tenaya woke up again with tears in her eyes. Another night, another nightmare. The same thing. Not even Cyrodil brought peace back to her life. She knew this wouldn't work and quickly gathered some clothes to head down to the Jerall View Inn. Going to Olav's place didn't seem like such a great idea. Her mood didn't make her want to see friends tonight.
She locked the door to her house and made her way through the night to the Inn. Snow wouldn't be too far off. A month or two at the most from the chill in the air. The stairs did her weakened leg no favors. Instead, she ordered two bottles of wine to the table in the corner.
No one in the room piqued her interest making this a simple night of drinking. No boring conversations or attempts to not hurt someone's feelings. All She cared about was the bottle of wine and drowning out her dreams.
"The man in the corner sends his regards." The barkeep dropped a sweet roll down.
Tenaya looked his direction as if she wanted to rip him apart. He dressed up in his fancy clothes, no doubt a traveler or peddler who did well for himself. Judging by the guard at the table with him, he had the means to take care of himself.
She pushed the roll to the edge of the table with no interest. It only forced her to down the last of the bottle quickly and step away. He didn't follow or the guard as she stumbled out the door and down the road. Why couldn't people leave her alone? She went there to not be bothered, having drank the last of her wine in the cases earlier in the week.
"Well, well, well… What do we have here…" A woman's voice said form the alley before knocking Tenaya over.
Tenaya struggled to get to her feet and stumbled from the alcoholic induced haze. "You do not have an idea of who you are messing with. I am in no mood."
No one would be able to believe it, hell she barely did herself with a drunken slur. The woman moved too quickly. She saw this before and when her eyes came into view, she knew what she was up against.
"I cannot wait to taste you. Wine adds a lovely sourness to blood."
The woman stalked around Tenaya who pulled out a dagger from her back. No one could question if she went prepared. Everywhere she went that dagger went. This was her favorite and served her well for many years.
"Nice dagger. I cannot wait to use it. Glass daggers are rare and will bring a pretty penny." She mused. This vampire enjoyed playing with her food. Nothing seemed to bother Tenaya.
Tenaya swiped her direction as she came in. A smile crept across her face when the blood dripped down from her arm. The cut wasn't deep or strong but sent a message. Her years of fighting vampires, let alone spending a year with one who spilled her guts on how to easily kill them, made this not much of a challenge. Not even the wine could reduce this fight to anything equal.
Another swipe left the vampire with yet another cut. Her armor cut open across her stomach. Tenaya hoped a few cautionary cuts might send the message, but not this time. The one proved to be very stubborn, much like she remembered others. All she wanted was to go home and be in peace. Each volley just annoyed Tenaya and the vampire.
"Where is a damn guard when you need one…" Tenaya said under her breathe as the cuts didn't seem to do anything to deter her.
"Enough! You are my meal!"
A violent thrashing made Tenaya step backwards. Convulsions swept over the vampire with blood bubbling everywhere. She transformed before her very eyes. Had she not witnessed this a few times before, her heart might have skipped a bit.
"Enough pathetic mortal. Submit to Matria and I will grant you a quick death!" She yelled in the alley.
"A daughter of Coldharbour…"
Matria looked at her with intrigue. Someone knew what she was. It didn't sit well knowing someone knew and lived to tell about it. Who was this woman? Matria didn't want to wait around and ask questions knowing she saw a lot more than she should. This woman deserved to die for Molag Bal.
Tenaya flipped the dagger to her left hand. She hated not having a sword right now, but this left her with no choice. Matria flew her direction without regard to being seen, not that it mattered in the middle of the night with everyone asleep in the back of an alley. Tenaya dropped to a knee feeling her essence draining slowly.
A quick burst sent Tenaya to the ground and her dagger flying. She did this have to happen when she drank so much? Her mind tried to pull together what it could through the haze. She scrambled to her feet remembering the fight with Harkon those years ago. Serana exposed the spot allowing the death blow to Harkon. She didn't have Serana this time and surely wouldn't get the same easy opening.
Matria circled with a grin the entire time. She drained Tenaya as she liked, making a lunge her direction just to keep her honest. She kept her away from the dagger until Tenaya charged her. Matria spread her arms waiting for the challenge. Her legs slid out and she sailed under to the awaiting dagger.
The glow of her right hand ignited to flames. The shot went to Matria who threw her arms up with almost no time to react. This was the opening she hoped for. Tenaya leapt with the dagger in hand before jamming it on the right side under her arm. Matria screamed out in agony. Surely a guard heard the yell.
Her body fell over to the ground. This wasn't the same as an arrow but it surely worked well enough from the looks of it. What she wouldn't give to have Auriel's bow again.
Tenaya walked over to the body on the ground and watched her devolve back to her regular form. She looked down at the body. Something came over her that she never expected. Matria held side where the dagger did its damage. Instead of running, Tenaya knelt beside.
"Tell me why you came for me daughter of Coldharbour." Tenaya asked coldly.
"I just wanted dinner." Matria said spitting up blood.
"Who gave you orders to come after me? I won't ask again."
Matria looked from the ground with nothing left to answer. She didn't lie, no one sent her. She came for food as she said. Tenaya wouldn't believe her, not having seen Serana and knowing her. Another daughter of Coldharbour. The coincidence had to mean something. She didn't know what it meant. Vampires were rare enough these days but a pure-blooded vampire, this meant something.
"Why me…"
Tenaya bent down to the dying vampire and lifted her up. Matria expected something much worse but received mercy, mercy she didn't deserve. Tenaya drug her through the storm while guards started running around. This vampire would help answer some questions.
"I will help you live but in return, I want to know everything about what you are. Do we have a deal, or should I let you die now?" Tenaya asked with rain splattering across her face.
"What do you want to know?" Matria spit up blood from the wound. "I am a vampire..."
"You are a pure-blooded vampire, a daughter of Coldharbour. I want to know everything about it. Do this and you will live. Fair?"
"Yes, but you do not know what you ask of me..."