27th of Frost Fall
Tenaya approached Riften for the first time in years. The walls looked familiar but in a regretful sort of way. She knew the city inside reeked of corruption. It oozed outside the gates seeing the typical shakedowns from the guards.
She came prepared this time. The last month did Tenaya very well. The out of shape woman transformed herself as much as she possibly could. She pushed herself to the very limits with continuing to forge every day and long runs around the city walls of Bruma. This started to feel like the Tenaya of old. The confidence seemed to almost radiate through the armor.
"Stop!" One of the guards out front yelled. She strolled towards Tenaya laughing with the others. "There is a new visitor tax recently passed inside the city. If you want in, it is a hundred gold."
Tenaya reached behind her back pulling the new dagger she recently crafted. It went straight to the throat of the guard leaving her wide-eyed. Tenaya didn't back down moving towards her face. "Does it look like I plan to take your shakedown? Let me in if you and the others want to live or I bring this city down."
"I… I… di… didn't recognize yo… you…" She whimpered.
"Glad to see you have a memory. I saved your scrawny ass a few years back, and this is what you became? Your scar doesn't lie."
Tenaya knew the woman. Back then, she was a whole seventeen years old and thought she was tougher than the entire world. She chose the wrong vampire to screw with outside of town. He had her under his spell when her and Serana came by. His hand scratched the entire length of her face, ripping a set of three massive wounds from her right eye to neck. Tenaya carried her for the mile to town without a care. Back then she promised to make something of her life.
"L…Let her th… thr… through…"
"Get yourself a real job."
The dagger flipped through her hands and back to the edge of her armor. That little pocket she built into the armor made the dagger impossible to detect. The edge tucked in under the flowing feather look so common to the Elven armor top piece. She crafted the handle to match the rest of the armor making it invisible to the naked eye. If anyone saw something, it would be the sword, freshly enchanted with small red veins coursing around the length of metal. The edge sat very sharp, able to cut the moment it felt flesh, elven metal nothing through and through.
She walked through the gate and left her helmet on. This wasn't the Tenaya of old, she knew people would see her the same regardless of. Tenaya become a reimagined version of herself. Few wore Elven armor who were not Elven. She didn't care. This was her style, tailored to her needs. The gawdy gold blended smoothly with hints of blue. Quicksilver accented the others giving a unique look to a rather boring set of armor. The helmet didn't have the typical point but rather a flowing set of feathers on the sides to give it better protection from arrows.
Walking inside the bunkhouse, no one recognized her. People turned but no one figured her out immediately. For the first time in her life, she wore make-up now to shade her eyes. She wanted to be less recognizable. Even compared to the person she was, her figure returned some of the bulk. She wasn't the skinny little girl chasing after the Dragonborn. Muscles became more toned and prominent. Her arms remained thin, but her legs grew stronger adding shape, her stomach flatter but stronger than she remembered. Non-stop training transformed her. This was the new Tenaya.
Her detour to the bunkhouse knowing only locals would hang out in this place and wouldn't care as much. Friends she made in the market might offer her a little bit of help. Her reputation might net her a room like the old days. Haelga frowned as an outsider walked in. Her usual comments stirred the bunch to cheers and general resentment. Svana however, she approached a little friendlier. Tenaya pulled her to the side, out of view from the tables.
"Svana, its me, Tenaya. Keep it quiet. Can you get the room I had before?"
"Tenaya!" Svana screamed in excitement, appearing to bounce on her feet before realizing what she did. It seems her reputation didn't die down after all these years. A few others popped up, ones she dealt with before, sticking their heads around the corner. Grelka pushed others out of the way to look our direction. Marise did the same wanting to see for herself. Madesi appeared to almost cry. This was not the moment she needed, not now, but gave her the chance to ask the questions to friends.
"Yes, it is me…" Tenaya said and slid off her helmet, revealing a very different look. The long flowing hair vanished, what remained barely went past her chin, slightly shorter in the back to make the helmet fit more comfortably. She even changed the color, choosing to darken it with the ash remnants from the foundry. She pushed to change everything about herself.
"We were told you died. Even became a vampire and the Dawnguard got you." Grelka said walking forward wanting a hug.
Tenaya didn't push her away. They spent many nights together over a forge trying to master metal together with the Dragonborn. She was her forge sister as they said jokingly. Others went back to their dinner leaving Grelka and Tenaya alone.
"All but the death part was true. I went to Cyrodil and stayed there until recently. Now I want answers…"
"Please my sister, let me get a bottle of wine to warm us up and talk."
Grelka fetched a bottle of wine and two goblets. We walked up the stairs with no one around. She poured two cups for them and toasted to her return.
"I wondered if we would see you again. I expected you a couple days ago with Serana." Grelka said as they took a sip. Tenaya spit the wine out hearing that bombshell out of the gate. "Did I say something wrong?"
"She was here a couple days ago?" Tenaya asked coughing.
"Two days ago. Dawnguard took her. Looked pretty roughed up when they carried her through the market."
"Well damn."
Tenaya bit her tongue instead of saying what she wanted to. The truth of the situation was she wanted Serana and now another spoiled the moment. They had her and this created problems. Her entire plan started to unravel. They couldn't kill her; she wanted that pleasure of interrogating her before anyone did. This meant doing a lot more than she planned to do. None of it felt good. She just started to feel good again and this might push her the limit.
They continued their discussion through most of the evening. Knowing the Dawnguard, it wouldn't be a simple interrogation at all with Serana. She had a lot more information being a Daughter of Coldharbour. Isran would stop at nothing to milk every bit of information he could and prolong her death. Serana had limits and the nine help her if she changed forms.
Once the bottle emptied and chatter stopped, Tenaya went about her business and asked for a private room. Svana happily provided the one private room they maintained, a new addition for anyone who did a favor. Grelka wished her a good night and promised her a gift the next time they ran in to each other.
Tenaya went to the room and undressed for bed. She didn't need to hear the news Grelka gave. She wanted Serana to herself to get her own answers. Now, she put together an awful plan to get to Serana. Finding a way through Fort Dawnguard wouldn't be easy. She knew of the tunnels underground with the waterfall. No one ever snuck in there, needing the ability to float or jump much higher. Not even the spiders found a way up there.
Morning came way too quickly. The rest she managed didn't quite feel good. Her every thought stirred her body through the night. She needed help on this one. Rumors of a potion to allow people to float existed only in books. She remembered reading a few on her journey, how a great warrior once went from the grounds of Vivic to a floating moon called the Ministry of Truth. People witnessed these feat, multiple people recounting the body seemingly floating through space and time to the rock. She needed that very ability, the very potion he took to accomplish it.
She quickly pulled herself together and left for Elgrim's Elixirs. The store seemed every bit as must as she remembered. Elgrim seemed happy to have a customer so eager to buy something from the lands of Morrowind themselves. He quickly perked up realizing who Tenaya was from speaking to his wife.
"This one would set you back a pretty penny, but we have no such potion. The ingredients can only be found on Morrowind. Racer Plumes and Coda Flowers can only be found there as far as I know." Elgrim said.
"It was worth a try, thank you. Have any combo potions if nothing? Need something to restore magicka and health pretty quickly I have a feeling." Tenaya asked.
"Looking at 240 Septim each. I have three. It also has a little stamina kicker too, but tastes like crap. Where are you going you need something so strong? After that girl of yours again are we?"
"Beg your pardon?" Tenaya asked irritated.
"If I was you, I would go through the front gate. It is less than guarded and the two out front are poor aims. The bunch seems scared of fire too. You didn't hear it from me."
Tenaya pulled her coin purse out and set the Septims on the counter. He looked back with a huge grin. The potions would be hers. Elgrim went to the bedroom and opened the safe, never leaving these sitting out for the thieves in the area. His comments made her wonder if that might be best. Elgrim didn't mind offering advice before when they needed it. He returned and she gave a simple thank you for the advice and took the potions.
She put the potions in the enchanted back on her waist. It barely had room left at this point. The other potions from Cyrodil she picked up on top of a few pieces of food left little. The enchantment did wonders by allowing her to carry twice its weight and size. Everything she really needed before fit perfectly, these times however were very different. She had no choice but to plan for the worst knowing the people she went against were not pushovers. What Tenaya realized she wouldn't give to have the Dragonborn back for this one.
Tenaya closed the door to the store and left through the city front gates. Her grand idea went out the door quickly with the lack of potion. She didn't quite have a plan to get inside Fort Dawnguard at this point beyond Elgrim's advice. All she knew right now was the prize she sought and came back for rested in those walls. No one would steal her opportunity for answers, not knowing what she did now. Serana would pay for what she did but on her terms, not the Dawnguard's terms.
The path forward felt all too familiar. Many trips down this dirt path and nothing to show for it. All she did, with the help of Serana was cement Isran's claim to the dawnguard and his never-ending desire for power. Responsibility rested on her shoulders now for failing to see him as he was. Revenge drove him so far and for so long. He would never look back at a vampire as a friend or even ally again. All he thought of them now was scum of the lowest kind.
As she made her way closer, two Dawnguard scurried around the grounds before entering Dayspring Canyon. If the fort itself didn't have enough defensive capabilities, the new check station in front of the canyon said it all. Stone walls went up over ten feet high from edge to edge of the small pass while a strange looking drawbridge went over their adjustments to the creek flowing by. They made it equally hard to get into the canyon.
"Who approaches Fort Dawnguard?" One of the two guards standing on the drawbridge asked.
Tenaya thought about the best way to answer such a question. By now, all of them knew who she was. Isran wouldn't let things go. She had to be a marked woman. No longer was the Dawnguard willing to go after vampires, they seemed to not mind killing the living who knew of them or tried to keep the peace. Matria's situation proved the extent they would go to kill a vampire.
"How about you tell me your name instead?" Tenaya yelled walking their direction.
Both lifted their crossbows her direction. She knew the game from before. Shoot first and ask questions later. These two would have to do.
A click shot off the first bolt. Tenaya sidestepped knowing it headed her direction with distance in her favor. The second measured and took his time with the aiming. The second click came with Tenaya refusing to move this time. It sailed her direction until it sailed wide. Both went to reload quickly as she took off in a sprint.
Tenaya didn't go for a kill at all. As one of them raised their crossbow to fire the shot, her backhand him crashing to the ground. A headbutt dropped the girl with a bloody nose. Tenaya grabbed the crossbow he was so kind enough to load and pointed it to his face. The girl stayed on the ground under her foot. "Now both of you are going to come with me. Neither of you will die as long as you do what I ask. As you can see, I am not a vampire." Tenaya said feeling very pleased with this result.
They nodded their head and stood up. Tenaya wrapped their hands behind their backs and pushed them forward with the crossbow aimed their direction. She didn't have the best of plans choosing to make this one up as it went. She needed to get Serana. Maybe two of their own would be worth the trade.
For a moment, going back to the fort seemed surreal. The look of Dayspring Canyon stuck close. See the waterfall again brought back some happier memories. All the fish being smoked by the pond made her wish she didn't forget breakfast in all the rushing around. She didn't ask for things to turn out like this and seeing the guards on the parapets drug her back to reality quickly.
"I want to speak with Isran. These two do not need to get hurt." Tenaya yelled before they spotted her and opened fire.
Guards rushed around and came out the gate every bit as quickly. Before she knew it, Dawnguard stood on the path in front of her and a handful more mounted the tower with crossbows aimed.
"Tell Isran that Tenaya Darix requests his appearance."
The moments before his voice yelled out felt like an eternity. She had no chance against this many Dawnguard. Tenaya wondered if this might not have been the smartest choice. The numbers outside barely touched what sat inside for all she knew.
"Well if it is not the vampire lover making her reappearance." Isran yelled from the tower.
Tenaya pushed the two of them away. They looked her direction as they went to the group on the path. She lowered the crossbow to her side and stared up the path before eyeing up Isran.
"Stupid girl. You never listened to me, did you?"
"I want Serana. I know she is here. We have unsettled business."
"And who do you think you are to make such a request?"
"We went down this road before Isran. If it wasn't for her and me, you wouldn't be standing there or any of them. I am sure Vori and Tilde would vouch for that wouldn't they?"
Vori looked on from the ground in the group not too far away. She knew the truth. They practiced together against the tree. If Vori felt her to be an enemy then the world really became a screwed-up place, unrecognizable to the decent ones left.
"Still want her back after all these years. Do you plan on sleeping with her now? You might find her in a few pieces right now, I am sure we could spare one for you to take."
Tenaya felt a lump in her throat. He was sick and enjoyed torturing every vampire he could get his hands on. She could only imagine how much truth came from that statement. Serana probably sat in a thousand pieces somewhere at the bottom of his torture room drain.
"If you did that then you are a bigger fool than I took you for. She helped you, so did I. Did you forget the prophecy we ended? Or how I survived two Elder Scrolls while you pissed away the Moth Priest?"
Isran turned his back and retreated to the fort. The guards on the path sat nervously with a lot of eyes to her sword. None of them saw anything like it. Their crossbows wobbled in a nervous tick. These were young recruits except for Vori who she recognized. Isran returned and threw something off the tower.
"There is the only piece you get Tenaya." Isran yelled and walked away.
Tenaya walked over to the edge of the tower seeing it. She felt vomit in the back of her throat. He was torturing her and apparently had everything he wanted. Her wing sat on the ground, heavily mutilated and disfigured. It looked burned with a massive hole in it making her wonder what exactly was going on. This was her Lord form.
In that moment, Tenaya didn't care so much about Serana as she remembered the days of torture when she sought help. Isran did nothing to make her any better. It seemed he wanted her to die. Everything he did allowed the wound to fester. She barely left with blood in her body.
"This isn't happening Vori. You may be a friend, but I will kill you if you do not get out of my way."
Tenaya mustered every bit of magic she had in her body, feeling her entire body tremble at the magic rising from within. Her right hand raised up a glowing orange ball. She tuned to Vori and their eyes locked for a moment. Tenaya did nothing more than shift them to the side and Vori followed. The entire group moved from the gate. The ball grew, now cracking loudly as it started to ignite. She held the flaming ball for a moment before unleashing it towards the wooden gate.
The impact alone dropped those outside to the ground. Tenaya walked forward through the flaming gate while repeating the very same thing. Bolts sailed from the tower past her but with no precision. Those on the ground chose to stay as they were out of fear of their own lives. Seeing someone handle magic in this way made them realize the petty restoration spells taught inside wouldn't protect them against a stronger foe like they believed.
Tenaya hurled the second towards the main doors to the fort. The explosion sent shockwaves but didn't break down the door. Others rushed out ready to attack only to see Tenaya just warming up. Both of her hands ignited together as a wall of flames shot forward to the ground by the gates. Flames climbed high into the air as she dropped to a knee still never been able to manage her magic well. She knocked back one of the potions she bought feeling her body slowly return to life in the way she wanted. The drained feeling slowly went away.
Her hopes were the light show put enough fear in the hearts of the recruits to allow her to get inside without challenge. The bolts they fired missed wildly from inexperience and now the dancing flames. A person ran up the steps behind while she pulled her sword. Their hands went in the air and she realized it was Vori.
"Take this. Watch your back Tenaya. You should be dead now. Something isn't right…"
Tenaya looked at the key in her hand. Vori did a great acting job and fell down the steps before running away. She pulled the recruits with her and to the lower levels of Fort Dawnguard. This was her opening. The key went into the door as she lobbed a small fireball in the air towards them with the intent to keep them occupied.
Inside, everyone ran on the upper level and outside. Tenaya peered around the corner seeing little in the way of anyone. She heard the huskies barking in the back knowing they were alone too. Where she had to go was the very place they stepped through. She slid along the wall to the staircase and up the steps. Screams outside the door remained while she lowed the wooden block down to seal the door shut.
One of the recruits ran her direction inside. He swung wildly and started yelling. Pounding on the door ensued. She couldn't let him through pulling her sword. The red veins glowed in even in the light. She pushed him back after another wild swung and rammed her sword through his armor. Fire quickly engulfed for a second when he fell. She looked at the sword realizing the enchantment was a lot stronger than she even knew.
Durak came running across as Tenaya feared the worst. She met his gaze seeing the recruit on the ground. He immediately pulled his axe, swinging for Tenaya's head. "Stop Durak, I do not want to fight you!"
Tenaya yelled loud enough to pull Isran out of hiding. She looked his direction and back to Durak who swung again, trying to get to the door. Isran laughed for a moment, seemingly above the bloodshed he started by not allowing Serana to go free. Durak refused to back down, his Orc personality pushing through, rage filling his eyes with every swing.
She watched him swing and miss again, seeing the opening she wanted and just waited. She moved forward to the edge of the stairs, dangerously close to his wild swings as it was. Durak did not hesitate, feeling it to be a mistake, taking ahold with both hands for the kill shot. Tenaya ducked, letting him go through as she pushed him over the railing and down the stairs.
Isran smiled holding his side from laughter. He seemed less than eager to attack for some reason. Tenaya held out her sword, ready to defend if needed. She walked his direction as he backed up. She didn't trust him at all fearing a trap. Her other hand lit up a small fireball and threw it forward, striking the floor behind. She did the same to the other side, realizing the wall might be the best hiding place of all for them to attack.
No attacks came. Isran backed up slowly. The smile widened on his face as Tenaya walked closer. In the corner of her eye she saw Serana, or what was left of her. She tried to move from the floor unable to even push herself up with blood everywhere. Multiple Vigilants of Stendarr appeared at the edge of the stairs across the way.
"Congratulations on being so stupid as to fall for this little game. You are predictable and gullible at the same time. The Dawnguard and Vigilants of Stendarr stand united now."
Isran knew what he was doing. Damn him for being this way. Elgrim set her up and now she was screwed. All of this happened so easily, now she knew why. What she thought was a perfect plan on a whim turned out to be nothing more than a setup by Isran.
Tenaya wouldn't go without trying or a fight. She pushed her hands together again noticing the magic felt drained and then realized the potion came from Elgrim too. It took everything she had to push the wall of fire forward, blocking the entrance to Isran's room and the torture room beside. She didn't have long, not with the Vigilants of Stendarr. They could get through quickly.
Serana coughed on the floor. Tenaya ran her direction while reaching into the bag on her side. "You listen to me and you listen good. You are not going to die until I get my damn answers. Hear me?" Tenaya yelled slapping her in the face to wake her up some. Her eyes rolled back in her head with mumbles coming out. Tenaya bit off the top of the bottle and poured half of it in her mouth and the other half in to Serana's mouth. The world went fuzzy for a split second and then it worked.
She had a whole thirty seconds to do what she needed to. Tenaya lifted Serana on to her shoulder and ran over the fire. The flames burned and forced her to bite her tongue. The Vigilants of Stendarr approached the fire walking by them. She held her breath as one moved way too close. For a second she thought it was over, no invisibility would work if they couldn't move. Their noise drowned out hers.
The staircase was no longer an option and she knew she would regret the jump. With Serana on her shoulder, she jumped from the balcony to the lower level. Both her and Serana hit with a thud that echoed through the room. Tenaya looked around dizzy, pain shooting through back for it. She couldn't sit around or wait to feel better, the time ticked away. Tenaya flung open the front door she came in and jumped off the stairs. The guards out front looked around unable to see them, only hearing the noise.
She didn't have long, maybe seconds when she took off for the gate. The tower sat empty with the group inside now hunting for them. Tenaya ran as fast as she could with Serana on her shoulder and back screaming in agony. As the invisibility potion wore off, bolts fired her direction. She had a good forty feet on them, throwing fireballs backwards with the other hand not aiming but to distract only.
They emerged from Dayspring canyon with footsteps following. She couldn't keep this up much longer and Serana didn't have time. This path had nowhere for them to go until they reach Riften. Hiding under the bridge wouldn't work, the Dawnguard surely would look. Tenaya took against the edge of the mountains with Serana barely clinging to life. She pushed as hard as she could knowing a lodge sat around the corner not too far away.
Dawnguard wouldn't approach with the mercenaries occupying the place. She knew of an alcove tucked in the rocks not far beyond. The run did no favors for her back. Serana flew off her shoulder when it became too much. Her body sprawled across the ground and revealed the true extent of what Isran did. The massive hole sitting in her back where the right shoulder blade belonged spoke volumes. Cuts and holes through her entire body as far as she could see. He mutilated her.
Yelling not too far behind made her push through. Even on the approach to the lodge, Tenaya didn't slow going a wider path around. Her eyes caught the alcove as she took off one last time. None of the mercenaries noticed them in the dark. She dropped Serana to the ground just inside. Everything looked clean and dry minus a few insects crawling around.
Serana couldn't even keep her eyes open. This was bad. So much worse than anything she ever imagined. When Isran tortured her, she always assumed he did it with a purpose. There appeared to be no purpose this time except raw brutality. Mutilation no one deserved, even her. She wouldn't wish this on her worse enemy.
"Damn you! Do not close your eyes or think you are getting away that easily." Tenaya yelled slapping Serana again to wake her back up. For a brief second, their eyes met. Serana had no clue who she was or where they were, let alone knowing this was Tenaya. She probably didn't know her name at this point.
Tenaya closed her own eyes for a moment and channeled everything. The glow came to her hands and mixed in the black swirl just like before with Matria. Tenaya held her other hand on the rock to keep from collapsing. She struggled to hold on, going well beyond her limits right now. Tenaya bit her lip with tears coming from her eyes to hold it together before ramming her hand down on to Serana's stomach.
The jolt startled the already delirious Serana as the healing seeped in her body. Exposed wounds started to close as she held on. Her vision blurred as two of everything appeared. Blackness pulled towards her eyes. Breathing slowed more and more. She watched as Serana began to breath normally, just in time to collapse across her body and going into darkness.