24th of Frost Fall
Serana walked around the courtyard, feeling the burn against her skin with the sun coming out. She made it a habit to come out every morning and feel the sun. None of the others would come out during the day, this was her time to have a little peace and privacy. All the scheming wore her down. Day and night, all the group wanted to do was take power or bring the others down. Not even with her demands of everything going to a vote would it change. No, someone wanted that power, someone wanted to take Harkon's place.
"Lady Serana, the messenger returns from Riften you dispatched." One of her random thralls rushed out to tell her in hopes of gaining favor.
"Bring them out here. I do not care to be indoors right now." Serana said flatly. This took way too long. The word came around on the second of Frost Fall and now weeks later, she finally had some answers coming about the news.
She went around the courtyard tending to all the herbs and plants setup by her mother Valerica. This place took forever to restore, but the efforts made it just like the memories of her childhood. Valerica enjoyed the time in the courtyard, only when the sun went down of course. Her desires to feel the burning sensation were not nearly as present as with Serana. No one knew why she ventured out to torture herself.
The messenger came running through, panting heavily before gawking around. This was the last thing she ever imagined in a vampire castle. No one wanted to be here for fear of the cattle rooms famed by Harkon. Those were quickly removed when Serana took over, but the reputation remained.
"What can you tell me of the Dawnguard rumors going around. It seems you took a vacation while getting the information." Serana asked as she pulled up a chair on the balcony.
"The rumors appear to be true. The Dawnguard suffered heavy losses and returned with only two people. One of them, the man you asked about, came back wounded. He will live though. The other who survived is a regular in the advancement teams." She spoke trying to catch her breath.
"Interesting my darling." Valerica popped out of her tower and walked across the courtyard. Serana hated that name with a passion. She was far from a darling and didn't care for the name.
"Good morning mother. I didn't think you had interest in such matters."
"I would not, but this man swore to destroy all the Daughters of Coldharbour. It appears he underestimated our abilities." Valerica added slyly.
The discussion between Serana and Valerica turned cold. Serana held herself in a humbled manner while her mother chose to think of themselves as all powerful. She didn't have the self-absorption her father did, but it came pretty damn close. Her desire wasn't power at all. All she seemed to content on was keeping herself and anyone who was pure-blooded above the rest. Like they needed another reason to be hated after Harkon.
"Beg your pardon misses. This was not done by a vampire." The messenger interjected.
"Then who would it be? Not even the Vigil of Stendarr would dare challenge the Dawnguard."
Truth sat in those words. Isran and the Vigil of Stendarr despised each other. While they felt he went to the extreme with his torturing and less than tasteful methods, none of them would attack. Those fools as Valerica often referred to them as, couldn't lace their own boots, let alone challenge the Dawnguard with any skill. They reliance on the light only led them to death most of the time.
"It was said to be a woman by the name of Tenaya Darix."
Serana froze instantly with that name going through the air. This name hasn't been spoken of in four years, since she left her to die that evening. "Impossible… Go verify your information. She died four years ago."
"I verified with the woman assisting the man Isran as well as numerous in the city. In the tavern, she spoke of a woman you managed to conjure up a dead sorcerer. The stories spoken had your name all through them. The man Isran went on a tirade to ignite the battle."
"Looks like you didn't kill her after all dear daughter." Valerica said coldly.
Serana tossed a bag of gold her way, much heavier than she expected. "Speak of this to no one or I will hunt you down."
The messenger nodded and left immediately. Being here spooked her enough without a payment. This was the last news Serana ever wanted to here. How the hell did she live? That blade went straight in. She watched her bleed out for the better part of ten minutes before sending her away. Even when the rumors of her arrival with the Dawnguard came, Isran swore he would end it as long as she agreed to not stalk outside the Castle. Peace came at a heavy price for Serana and her mother.
Isran became a man possessed after that. Serana kept to herself and retreated to the safety of the castle. His knowledge of the Daughters of Coldharbour grew to the point hunts took place to wipe them all out. He never approached the castle or came close. That was his end of the bargain after all. We stopped the prophecy, he left us alone. It all happened a little too easy though.
"Why do you let something so trivial bug yourself Serana?" Valerica asked in the great hall.
"She should not be alive mother. Tenaya was dead. All of them lied. It's time for the purge to happen that should have after father. If they will lie to me just like Isran, they all need to die."
Serana threw everything off the table in one swipe. The anger and rage built up inside her to the point she burst. The wings came out and she spiraled towards the ceiling. The others in the hall looked on in shock, none ever witnessing Serana turn to her Vampire Lord form. Serana slammed down to the ground and ripped the head clean off the shoulder of a thrall in the room. No one came to pass without feeling her wrath. One by one the thralls died. Anyone who put up a fight felt their death in the worst of ways. This came out as nothing but brutality.
With every thrall dead and only her mother watching on, Serana calmed herself down and went back to her regular form. Valerica watched on with curiosity, slightly amused by the sudden change in her.
"Feel better?" Valerica asked.
"All of this and for nothing! No wonder I have been scorned by Molag Bal. I failed to do his bidding."
"Fear not daughter, you will find a way back into his graces. On his day, we will try to speak with him again. The message you received after retrieving the bow came across clear. Kill the woman to prove you belonged in his grace. Love has no place in his presence. The death of Harkon brought me back to him."
"I sacrificed everything for this and now I am still scorned."
Serana went out the front gate to see Skyrim. She knew what had to be done. Molag Bal never answered her questions no matter what she did or sacrificed. He remained silent. Serana didn't dare speak on his summoning day, fearing the repercussions of interrupting his moment, if you could call it that anyway. Now she may have no choice.
She walked back to the keep where Valerica started using her magic to clean the mess. Doing something this simple was beneath her. Thralls and slaves served those purposes. Serana didn't care as she walked through the slop and to her room. Things felt empty there. The coffin replaced her bed having no longer felt the need for it. She slept in a bed for Tenaya, not anything else.
The armoire opened, allowing her to sift through the clothes she had. The one thing she looked for sat in the very back and covered with large amounts of boots. She pulled it out slowly realizing the time came to go back to Skyrim. She couldn't go anymore in her royal outfit, not with the amount of Dawnguard crawling around. The outfit wasn't her first choice but gave her some form of disguise out there with protection.
Serana unhooked the cloak before hanging it carefully. She slid the belt off and struggled with the corset in the back like usual. Her arms slid out and the rest came off before joining the rest in the armoire. Her eyes shifted down to the small mark right above her belly button. That mark she earned retrieving the last Elder Scroll. Tenaya knocked her out of the way just in time or it would be in her heart. One damn Dwarven Sphere she missed but Tenaya didn't.
She shook her head quickly to work the memory away. Serana slid on her shrouded armor. It felt as awful as she remembered. Not even the adjustments Tenaya made to the armor corrected anything. At least her hood worked with the outfit and it could deflect a hit pretty well. She missed the enchantments of her other outfit but getting caught presented problems. She needed to go to Riften and ask around herself.
This armor felt absolutely awful within a couple minutes making her debate regular clothes. Everything hugged her curves tightly. She didn't care to be so open with her body. Part of her wondered if Tenaya gave her the armor when they snuck through Solitude and everyone had her outfit well documented thanks to the Dawnguard. It wasn't like the royal armor sat around places. Her and Valerica received the armor over a millenia ago. It wasn't like Radient Raiment had them sitting on the shelf or the College of Winterhold.
"That is dreadful. Why torture yourself?" Valerica said looking on.
"I am going to Riften and our regular clothes wouldn't be smart." Serana said with an eye roll.
"I see. You are not going to let this one drop are you?"
"No…"
"Please feed before you leave or take one of the Blood Potions. Maybe stop at an Alchemy store and pick me up a few things I can't grow here."
Serana nodded and walked out to the dining hall. She spotted a potion and quickly added it to the sack on her back. The remnants of a failed slave served their purpose still warm on the table. This should hold her long enough for a trip she thought.
She made her way out to the front of the castle again. Her feet walked down the stone slowly while turning her head back every so often to make sure it was real. The feelings of leaving home felt different this time. Knowing she would break the truce with the Dawnguard if caught worried her, but this is one time it had to be done. Isran failed her. Tenaya failed her. She was in this on her own.
Rowing the boat across the bay brought back more memories she didn't want. Serana shook her head trying to forget everything. Tenaya did the work so many times and this felt surreal. The shore didn't come quick enough to erase the thoughts going through her head. All she wanted was to find out what happened. She needed to hear for herself Tenaya lived.
"Halt!" A guard of Northwatch Keep quickly grabbed her walking on the side of their walls.
"Why? I did nothing wrong." Serana said turning her head away out of instinct.
"Please state your business here."
"I have no business. I am on my way to Riften."
"A little far from there aren't you? Have you stolen something from the Keep?"
Serana became irritated quickly. She debated between ripping his head off and sparing his life or simply driving the point across.
"See that castle in the distance, I live there. Do you need anything else?" Serana flashed her teeth with the last word.
He blinked knowing the stories. No one went to the castle and those who ventured by to the Jetty never returned. Shadows in the night quickly passed by with superhuman speed. There wouldn't be an incident as he backed away to the Keep and let Serana continue her way.
The road was less than ideal. Snow covered everything making the path harder to make out. On top of that, every minute the sun came out became agony. Serana had no choice but to keep the cloak bound tight and her hood up. Each step made her hate the weather. One positive thing with it kept the bandits at bay. No bandit would be stupid enough to be out in this weather. Her teeth chattered and she didn't feel the cold like others. How a human endured today remained a mystery to her.
Dawnstar came and went with little fanfare. The gold she brought came in handy with the carriage. She didn't have the stamina in the pounding sun. Going this alone started to feel like more of a problem with each passing step. Thankfully, the carriage ride to Riften made things a lot more tolerable and for 80 gold, it felt like a steal. Serana even managed to get some rest on the right through the night.
"We are here miss. Thank you and remember to keep us in mind for any other travels." The driver said with a strange smile. Serana checked her items and realized nothing appeared to be missing. Maybe he was simply being nice, who knows.
The guards at the gates were as she remembered. Each of them tried to extort some gold on her way in. Her smile alone scared them enough to let her in free of charge. To be stupid enough to try to extort from a vampire would be a new level of stupidity for them.
How this city changed in a few years. Serana looked around with the amount of beggars all around. This stayed below the city for so long. Not even the guards batted an eye to them all. Signs hung in the windows for help, but they all wanted something for nothing anymore. Serana huffed at the first ten who approached before she made the Bee and Bard.
Serana walked through the tavern with a lot of eyes turning her direction. She stood out in this place being an outsider. All the eyes who looked had some sort of agenda it seemed. One she swore was part of the Dark Brotherhood and a few others a part of the Thieves Guild. The barkeep, Keerava as she remembered, looked her direction with a strange curiosity. Serana hoped she didn't remember her after all these years. It didn't seem in her cards as the Argonian yelled her name.
"Ah Serana, blessings be upon you. It has been too long."
Ears perked up hearing the name. These people favored the Dawnguard and surely her name spread through the city like wildfire now. Damn Argonians and their memory. They should have left her business to rot for what she just did.
"Could we keep that a little on the quiet side? Don't forget I am not exactly cared for in these parts." Serana added a little mum at the bar.
"Of course. Forgive my excitement seeing you again. Where is Tenaya at? You two made quite the adventuring couple."
"We had… um… a little falling out."
Pleasantries aside, Serana made her purpose known. She needed to know if the truth about the attack was real and if Isran really did come close to death. Keerava didn't seem to want to spill much information or just didn't know. No matter how hard she pressed, the answer remained the same. Rumors only. She needed the hard facts.
"Mind if I get a room for a couple days? Preferably the corner room without windows?"
"Surely. For a friend I will get it ready myself!"
Serana tossed her double the rate. The Argonian never did her wrong and her attitude wasn't necessary for someone who appreciated their work. She followed to the room and accepted the key. Everything inside was the same as she remembered. The bed looked clean enough. Keerava seemed to take care of them unlike some of the taverns she remembered on her journeys before.
Keerava fluffed up the hide covers over the bed and what you could consider a makeshift padding in place of a pillow. This would do as Keerava took her leave. Serana circled the room to make sure no surprises awaited. She learned a lot and being a vampire in the middle of a city served a less than ideal purpose. The lock on the door could easily be picked and another alternative could be made to ensure no one paid a surprise visit.
Getting the information would surely prove difficult. Serana left the room and went down to the bar. Eyes still watched her every move. Most didn't seem to care beyond just looking at the outsider. One set seemed more interested than others. The emblem on their robes said everything. Dawnguard loyalists.
"Well Sapphire, it appears our paths have crossed again." Serana said as chipper as she could while putting a flagon of ale on the table for her. "Would you indulge an old friend for a bit?"
Sapphire looked her up and down. She wasn't sure she liked the idea of having Serana being so open in discussion with her. This territory belonged to the Dawnguard and it was painfully obvious what Serana was with those glowing eyes and look of paleness which stood out.
"I am sure a short conversation could be tolerable."
A woman of few words she remembered. Serana asked the questions she wanted trying to avoid saying anything about Tenaya. Bringing her up might rattle those around coming from a vampire of course. No one knew their separation except a small handful.
"We heard the same as you about the Dawnguard incident on the pass. Plenty of rumors going around about it. This was the first defeat the Dawnguard faced in a long time. It begs a question, why do you care? Shouldn't you be rejoicing?" Sapphire mused.
"I want to know if you heard about Tenaya." Serana whispered behind her hand.
"Tenaya? What of her?" Sapphire said normal turn drawing the attention of others in the bar.
"Did she really do this? I thought she died."
"Your guess is as good as mine. We heard a woman did this. A few people talked about it; names came up including hers. Others said Lydia did it after the Whiterun incident. The rumors are circling heavily and spreading faster than anyone who knows the truth." Sapphire leaned closer to her and covered her mouth. "If I was you, I would get out of here. Riften is no place for you right now."
Serana nodded and walked back to the bar to get another thing of ale. She never intended to drink it but those at the table might not see a swap out when they looked away. The three Dawnguard kept their eyes fixated on her every move. They knew what she was. The only question in her mind was were they willing to do something about it?
Eventually, she left the company of Sapphire who sat in silence the rest of the time. The bard finished his last set on the Dragonborn. She took her leave, returning to the corner room. With as much silence as she could muster, she slid the bed tight to the door and chose to keep everything wedged tightly. This wasn't a time to take a chance now. Too many eyes watched her steps.
Serana barely slept through the night. Every bump on the floor brought her awake. No one came for her or seemed to care as much as she liked to think so. Serana wasn't the center of attention now. Even before, she managed to keep to the dark and let Tenaya take all the glory. Letting her be the face of their adventures proved easier before she turned. No one questioned her motives like they did Serana. No one cared a human managed to do something but let it be a vampire and the world wanted to know the exact circumstance.
Breakfast made her nose turn. It wasn't quite the meal she had in mind and Keerava wouldn't be serving a bit of blood for her benefit. She passed through the group eating without as much as a care this morning. No eyes followed or wanted to get information.
Riften looked pretty quiet this morning with nothing but fog as far as the eye could see. Serana pulled the hood over her face going to the market. She browsed around, asking about the rumors casually during the conversations but nothing came. The rumors of Tenaya seemed to be blended with Lydia and some other random people. Serana started to put her mind at ease realizing this seemed to be a mistake. Hearing that name sent her for a loop but didn't seem to be true. The only person who could answer it sat in Fort Dawnguard where she wasn't welcome.
Serana left the market and made a quick stop to Elgrim's Elixirs for a few things her mother wanted. The trip seemed to be a waste with no real information beyond rumors. Even in the tavern, she couldn't get a straight answer from anyone. All the rumors couldn't be confirmed.
She left the shop and went to cross the canal as a figure came out. The crossbow lifted her direction and he simply looked at her.
"It takes a lot of nerve, or stupidity to come to Riften creature." He said.
"I am here for business, not to fight. Be on your way." Serana replied.
"We should kill you were you stand creature." Another figure beside her lifted their crossbow.
Typical Dawnguard, never coming one on one or this would be so much easier. Even with two, Serana knew another lurked. Always in groups, never alone. She backed away slowly, but every step spooked them. Her feet took off for Elgrim's again with the first shot whizzing by her head. She slammed the door shut and locked the door quickly. Pounding brought Elgrim and his wife Hafjorg running for their back room to see the commotion. A bolt fired into the door sending a clear message.
Serana stared at them holding the door tight. "I need a way out of here. Is there another way?" She threw the coin purse their direction. Hafjorg nodded and waved her back as Elgrim setup a small diversion to buy her enough time. Serana cursed herself for giving up over a thousand Septim. She needed that to get the remaining things for her mother. At the same time, living seemed like a much better choice.
Hafjorg moved the bed to the side revealing a small trap door. Serana looked down to the water and mess below before turning to hear the door being picked. She hopped down in realizing this went straight to the Ratways by the Ragged Flagon. She visited there once and chose to enter the dismal tavern instead of trying to find her way around.
Eyes shifted her direction seeing the fancy armor with others recognizing her from the previous night. One thief took a dagger out making a straight line for Serana. She chose to make an example of him, taking both hands together, each feeling cold from the forming ice. A spike shot through the air, piercing him directly while sending him straight in to the wall where it stuck. Nothing came across subtle with a six inch spike impaling him.
"Anyone else?" Serana asked letting her hands swirl with ice.
Those around stepped back to let her pass without a thought. She went to the body hanging from the wall, reaching through the blood dripping down to take his coin purse. As the eyes looked on, she licked the blood from her hands. Anyone else feeling some courage quickly retreated. This wasn't a regular person for them to screw with.
Serana carefully went down one of the hidden tunnels to a waiting ladder to climb out of. This went outside the walls and worked just fine. The sound of Dawnguard hitting the Ragged Flagon made her pick up pace. This wasn't the time or place for a battle. She needed to get an advantage and here they had it. Escaping and running away became the decision of choice for now.
As she popped out of the rocks on top, a boot came down across her face sending her down to ground in the tunnel. Serana looked up with a haze, crashing hard to the ground. Before she knew what happened, Dawnguard had crossbows locked and loaded pointing her direction from above and around. All she felt was the blood coming down from the bridge of her nose.
"Shame we had to bust up such a pretty face." He said smirking. "Bring her back to Fort Dawnguard for interrogation. Kill her if she tries to run. This is Lady Serana who stepped out of the castle after all."