18th of Hearthfire
Tenaya struggled over the forge much longer than she expected. Four years really ate her skills away. The first attempted failed miserably, forcing her to purchase another set of material much to Fjotreid's pleasure. Nothing seemed to sit right with the first set, leaving the front plate sitting awkwardly and pressing into her stomach much more than she wanted. To make matters worse, the gauntlets shattered the first time she tried to enchant them.
She had a feeling today would be much different. The blacksmith apron went around her neck and with the banging of a hammer, the armor started to take shape. Every puff of the bellows put fresh heat to the armor. Sweat began to roll down her face with the faint smell of coals in the air.
Swinging the hammer over a special piece of steel allowed it to shape much better this time. How she forgot to use the rolling method instead of pounding on the anvil only. Tenaya cursed herself over and over again as this one took shape. She took her time, shaping things out until it smoothed the edges perfectly with a crescent shape. Her signature ended up on the skirting just below the quicksilver. The marks were unmistakable when you looked at them.
Tenaya sat down next to the fire with her gilded armor complete. Enchanting this set wasn't the smartest of ideas and one she preferred to wait for. She chose to practice a little bit or perhaps pay a visit to an old friend in Solitude who might be willing to help there. One perk from her time with the Dragonborn came in the form or friends. People remembered their adventures and when it all ended, pieces remained for her to pick-up.
The armor sat by the fire before she started her last piece. This one had a very specific target. Each flare from the fire only ignited her desires to go back. The moonstone edge smoothed out, drawing to a steady point. With a final dunk in the water, Tenaya lifted up the dagger to see it in the light. Coal dust covered her face while the heat covered every part of her head to toe in sweat. It was hard to imagine in the matter of a few weeks she brought herself to this point.
It started with realizing how far off the wagon she fell. Everything she did wasted away the muscles and toned body she had to keep. Afterall, the goal wasn't to stand out anymore. She stood out a little too much for way too long. Now things moved a different direction, the way of the old you could say. Her arms began to fill out from the daily pounding of the hammer. The weight she put on fell off quickly with the constant heat and work to forge all she wanted. This started for feel like the Tenaya of old.
Something struck her as quickly as she looked through the flames. Her name carried too much weight. She needed to be reborn as someone new. Going back to Skyrim as Tenaya would add unwanted attention. People remembered the name a little too well. At that moment, she chose to drop everything she had and to go to this world new. The time would come when she had to reveal herself, but that time she would choose, not someone else.
Tenaya jumped up to go to the grinding wheel and went about finishing the dagger. She wanted this one true and balanced. The wheel did its work with the last piece of moonstone in her hand. She wanted this one as sharp as possible without being fragile. It needed to get through the Royal Vampire Armor Serana wore. This one wouldn't leave her with a chance of living when it was over. Serana took her own Dagger and did it, now this one was made for her specifically.
"That is a mighty fine dagger you have there." Fjotreid said admiring from from behind.
"Lucky you didn't get stabbed sneaking up on me like that." Tenaya said with a smirk from the wheel.
"I should hire you to do work, these pieces are amazing. How did you learn to make elven armor? Gilded armor no less. Thalmor are the only ones I knew who mastered it."
"I learned my trades. I prefer Elven since it lets me move easier. Glass armor always felt too stiff for my liking."
"You can forge glass armor?!" Fjotreid yelled in amazement, dropping the Gilded set to the ground.
"If I was you, I would pretend you didn't know me when people come looking. Forget the name Tenaya if I was you."
Tenaya twirled the dagger in her hand feeling it spin perfectly. She balanced the hilt and blade on a finger before flipping it and throwing straight to the door frame beside the guard's face. He quickly pulled a sword while Tenaya walked over slowly. "If I wanted you dead, I would have thrown it at your face. Relax hot stuff."
The guard looked on with more irritation than happiness. Very few had the desire to tempt a guard like that. This one thankfully had a small sense of humor. Had he wanted to make a problem, things might have turned ugly. Tenaya just smiled and slid off her apron. She had everything done she intended to do and phase one came to a close in her mind.
"My advice to you Ms. Tenaya would be not forget who you were. If you think hiding yourself will do any good you are wrong. I hid from my past and remain in this store with my family moons away. Do not make my mistake."
Fjotreid gave a little advice when she didn't ask. This seemed to be his way. Maybe what he said was true and maybe it wasn't. Damn people for giving advice when you do not ask for it.
Tenaya thought about the plan, it sounded so simple, change her name and become a new person no one knew. Maybe he was right. Maybe everyone would realize who I was by looks alone. She went places and quickly had free ale without a word. She sure as hell wasn't going to cut my face up or try to change anything like that. Rumors of a face sculptor in Riften sounded rather tempting also, but Tenaya ultimately enjoyed the person she was.
Tenaya tossed everything into a sack Fjotreid provided as a courtesy. All the money earned her a free sack. She lugged it down the hill to her home, watching each step carefully with the load on her shoulders. Everything inside looked the same except one thing; the rug scrunched on the floor. By the time she spun around, Matria pushed her to the ground. Tenaya couldn't struggle any further with the strength pressing tightly.
"You never told me you were with the famed Dragonborn of Skyrim. No wonder you bested me."
"Can you get off me now? I wasn't expecting to ever see you again." Tenaya said with a little irritation from being pinned down. She really didn't expect to ever see her again. Seeing her again almost made her the fool she assumed her to be.
Matria moved away and sat down on the chair at the small table. This didn't appear to be a casual visit after that welcoming. She doubted Matria came to fight or for her blood, it did beg the question about why she chose to come back early, or at all. Matria looked better given their previous encounter. She definitely fed a good bit and had the look of life back inside her. Funny how a little bit of blood would chance someone's look so dramatically.
"I need your help Tenaya. You asked for mine and I will give it, but I need yours now. There is a vampire hunter coming for me. He wiped out the only other Daughter of Coldharbour in Cyrodil. He knows I am in the city and already heads this way."
"Wait…" Tenaya shook her head almost in shock at first, "you want me to kill a vampire hunter? I am not exactly friendly to your kind right now. I tolerated you as it was." Tenaya said more irritated by the request than Fjotreid's comments for the past few weeks.
"This guy, Isran, he's a machine. He tortured her for days. Went to a small clan and wiped them out without regard to any of them and they were not bad people. The thrall who got away came to warn me. I realize I am not exactly the most tasteful of creatures, but I do not want to die. Do you know how this pains me to come here and ask you?"
"Isran? Are you sure?" A look of bewilderment came across Tenaya's face with the name being said out loud again.
"Yes, have you heard of him?"
Tenaya thought for a moment before answering that very question. She knew Isran better than anyone on Cyrodil. Why the hell couldn't be just stay in Skyrim? She wouldn't ever forget the torturing after she sought help. All the effort she put in to help the Dawnguard and the first thing he did was strap her down to a stretching rack and peel away her flesh until she divulged the inner workings of Volkihar.
"I know of him from Skyrim."
"You need to help me, please. I will help you with anything you need, I swear."
The decision was as difficult as Tenaya expected. All she wondered about was Isran. Damn him for doing this. Damn him for coming to this place. He couldn't leave well enough alone. To go out of the province, hunting for vampires brought a new level to the Dawnguard. Sure, most of the Dawnguard were roughnecks, trying to make their way with a stubborn leader, now they seemed to be formalized enough to venture around the provinces. If nothing, Tenaya realized she needed to get back to Skyrim sooner than expected.
"Where is he now? This isn't quite what I had in mind. I am not ready to leave yet."
"What do you need?" Matria wondered what could be more important than escaping, fully expecting her problem to just be absorbed to Tenaya.
"Time Matria, more time. Isran is not going to be stopped easily and here, you are as good as dead. Where is he?"
"A day's ride to the north. He and a couple camp on the Riften Pass, at least that was the message."
Tenaya nodded her direction. A day's ride wouldn't be the worst thing. She decided to take the chance and make the journey. What exactly did she have to lose? He already tortured her, what good would it do to make another attempt at a discussion. The only part Matria would not be thrilled with was the demand she journey as well. If she had to do this, Matria did also.
The weather started to turn colder and those mountains would be less than friendly regardless of the month. Tenaya gathered a little bit of heavier clothes for the journey. Her newly crafted armor went into the boards under the floor. No one would find it where she buried them. To get there meant destroying the house. The tunnel barely fit her now and few were smaller.
"Let's go. I will pick some food up at the tavern on the way through. Just to make sure this isn't some sort of trick since I don't complete trust you, I want your word under the nine."
Matria's eyes went wide realizing the request. No one living in this place spent that kind of gold. Tenaya was no fool. A trap might kill her if she wasn't lucky. This was a level of extreme she chose to make sure Matria didn't turn on her. The days of trusting a vampire so freely were over. If she lied, the nine would strike her dead in the temple. The sacred pact came at a hefty price, but worth every Septim when you value your life.
Tenaya detoured to the tavern to pick up some bread and meat for the journey. Much to her displeasure, Matria had to carry it all until the stables. The simple grin made it humorous enough for Matria to realize this would not be a simple trip. Tenaya might make her regret the request for help after it was over.
"Go through the door on the side. I am not drawing attention to you." Tenaya demanded when Matria went to the front of the temple. No one in that temple wanted to see a vampire walk through the front door anyway. Her eyes might not be glowing at this point, but her skin said she was one of them.
The door on the side wasn't in the best of shape and used for different purposes. She knew the head cleric well enough to understand his devotion to some gods left a little bit of a sour taste to anyone who knew of the sacrifices. This little fact helped get the pact at a cheaper price. All of the Bruna secrets came to serve her well.
Knowing Matira would go through with it left Tenaya feeling better. She paid the money and watched the questioning in the circle from the nine clerics. Matria sat there answering their questions clearly and concisely. Tenaya didn't have to fear for her life anymore on this journey, at least from the one with her. All of it was truly about help, her fear of Isran and that fear was well deserved. Isran could strike fear in deep to the most devoted of souls.
"Satisfied?" Matria said angry. The dejected look didn't stop Tenaya from adding insult to injury.
"Yes. Imagine this in a storybook. A Daughter of Coldharbour having to answer to the nine. How I wish I could listen to Molag Bal complaining about being so helpless to the real gods." Tenaya mused loudly.
"Do not tempt fate. Molag Bal treasures his Daughters. I might be young but even I know when to not tempt fate."
"Nothing would please me more than seeing your precious Molag Bal. He ripped a piece of my soul away and I would gladly return the favor."
Matria stared at her travel partner, not sure if she was insane or just someone with a death wish. "You have a strange sense about yourself. Did you learn nothing of the gods?"
The question went unanswered. Tenaya knew plenty of the gods. She learned too much and saw too much to respect them anymore. Her heart had been ripped out. Her body broken down to get information to serve yet another god. She sat in the middle of Meridia's struggles on Skyrim and cast aside Dawnbreaker for Serana. It felt too strange to accept such a gift when the one you cared for was undead, all she swore to go against with that weapon.
Even the other gods turned their backs on her when she needed it. Azura didn't keep her promise upon the return of the star. Tenaya begged for help in her darkest hour and that request went silent. Only one answered and his request turned out to be nothing more than a joke; Sanguine. All of the Daedric Princes could go to hell as far as she was concerned. None of them deserved her time anymore, but some of them deserved much worse and those who did, she sought.
Matria and Tenaya each took to their horse from the stable on rent and headed towards Riften Pass. The journey started out quiet with the only words spoken from Matria. From the looks of it, the ride would be a boring from beginning to end. Matria had no clue what she asked of Tenaya, the same feelings returned from what Tenaya asked before. General points about the beautiful countryside returned nothing or a question of curiosity.
Glasslands gave way to mountains with caps of snow. Temperatures dropped as they pushed forward through it all. Matria pulled her hood over as the sun broke through the clouds. "How long ago did you feed?" Tenaya stopped her horse to turn to Matria, obviously hurting in the light.
"About a day ago. I am fine."
Tenaya shrugged and kicked her horse to continue on. She looked ahead to the pass with much disdain. Seeing Isran would only bring back those memories of his torturing. Oh how she wanted to seek revenge but couldn't. He would tear her apart right now with how out of shape she still remained. This trip didn't make getting things back to normal any easier.
"It's been four years since I went down this path. I barely made it to Bruma." Tenaya said breaking the silence.
"What happened to you Tenaya? You are a twisted soul. I cannot tell if you are in pain or just wanting to die when I look at you."
Those words hit much stronger than Tenaya expected. Who was this vampire to judge her? Was she really like this to everyone? What the hell did she present to the world? A million questions ravaged her mind until an arrow shot past her face.
"Bandits!"
Tenaya dropped off her horse to the ground. She scrambled to get behind the trees. Matria followed as quickly. Arrows whizzed by the trees with a slight whistle. Tenaya poked her head around the pines to see the four bandits in the middle of the road, two holding full length shields and another two firing arrows their direction. Tenaya reached for her dagger but this fight wouldn't be up close.
"What exactly do you have in mind? We are pinned down here!" Matria said nervous.
"You really do not fight much do you?"
A flustered look came across her face. Matria stared at Tenaya, seeing a small glow form on her hands. The look on Tenaya's face went from serious to full smile when the ball grew in size. What the hell was this woman doing? Each passing moment grew this ball a little larger until it caught fire. The flames alone let off enough heat to make Matria turn her head, yet this woman didn't care at all.
"This is how we fight where I come from Matria. Feel free to watch if you like."
A flick of her wrist sent this flaming ball towards the bandits. It sailed with great speed and the impact alone put a small crater in the ground. All the bandits managed to get out of the way in time but probably wouldn't live long to talk about it. Their shields flew to the sides, quivers of arrows burning in the middle of the road. None of them looked ready for the coming fight.
Tenaya jumped from the tree line with the bandits flustered. A hand glowed blue and another swirled purple and red together. Matria stared in awe as a form appeared in front of Tenaya, materializing from thin air with nothing but a flick. Her eyes grew large as a strange fire person moved their direction, slinging fireballs every direction, burning pieces of the ground in its trail. Tenaya wouldn't be outdone if that was even possible, sending ice spikes towards the bandits.
Trees came crashing down with the fireball impacts, others impaled by ice spikes at the same time the bandits fell. The wake of destruction alone pushed chills down Matria's spine. This woman could have killed her without as much as a second thought. She never felt dumber than this moment. Tenaya spared her life and didn't torture her. The mercy shown came from something much bigger and darker was all Matria could figure.
"Are you coming, or do you plan to sit there? All of them are dead." Tenaya asked hopping on her horse.
"How did you do that? I never saw anything like that in my life."
"If you knew I traveled with the Dragonborn, this shouldn't come as a surprise. Matria, I am a Spellsword. I know enough to use both spells and swords. I learned how to conjure some things, do a few destructive spells and a little healing. It is enough on its own with some weak people like them.'
"Weak? Those were some prepared bandits. I wouldn't call them weak." Matria answered shocked by the casual reply. What had this woman faced to think this was nothing but a weak challenge?
"I take it you never fought a Dragon before have you Matria?"
The smile on Tenaya's face scared Matria. This woman would be the death of her if she stuck with her too much longer.