Valerica felt the stairs of the portal shifting under her feet as she bounded up them into her study. The first thing that hit her was the scent. The stale air was tainted with the aroma of mortal sweat, the stench of wet dog, and smoke. The lingering odor of cooked food disgusted her thoroughly. It made her gag with how badly the tower stunk. Scaling the steps in silence she could see a scarlet-haired mortal rising from the bedroll next to the fire. Valerica unleashed an electrical burst, stunning the woman unconscious. She strode quickly to the bedroll and laid Serana on it. Standing, she stepped over the small fire pit, glancing back at the floor where the portal once had been open. She retrieved the unconscious werewolf and hefted her up, carrying her over to where Serana lay. Pulling her dagger, she slit the werewolf's arm open and placed it over Serana's chest.

"Drink, my daughter."

Instincts made Serana's body move under her mother's watchful eye. Her right hand caught Aela's arm, pulling it to her mouth. Serana began to drink. Her hard draws from Aela made Valerica smile. "You will be well soon enough to begin our journey."

Serana's eyes snapped open. She sat up quickly, pulling Aela's arm away from her lips. She stared in horror at the wound on Aela's arm and quickly shifted their positions. Jumping to her feet she moved quickly to the fire pit, knocking things over as she grabbed Aela's pack. Rummaging through it she threw her mother a filthy look. "Did it occur to you that this woman was here for a reason?"

Valerica scowled at her lack of appreciation. "Of course it did. It also occurred to me that I needed to ensure your well-being before asking her questions."

Serana administered a health potion to Aela, before turning on her mother. "Aela and Azriel are the only friends I have. I have no desire to see any harm come to them, especially from me."

"Oh please, Serana. Mortals are mere instruments…" Valerica scoffed at her.

Serana closed the distance between them instantly. Catching her mother by the neck she lifted her from the ground. "They mean more to me then you can possibly imagine. I will kill anyone who harms them, even you." She dropped Valerica just as quickly as she had picked her up. "I'm done being the obedient daughter."

Valerica landed on her feet, speechless.

Serana turned her back on her mother and looked around. Her vision settled on the floor. For a moment, she could only gawk at it as the panic began to rise within her. Aela shifted on the bedroll, groaning. Serana tore her eyes away from where the portal had once existed to look at Aela.

Aela shifted, rubbing her head. "Azriel?"

Serana's heart plunged into her stomach, only silence answered Aela.

Aela moved her hand down her face, looking around. She looked directly at Serana. "Serana?" Her husky voice broke slightly. "Serana, what happened?"

Serana threw her mother a disgusted look and walked to Aela, kneeling down, she ran her fingers down her cheek. "My mother made a mistake…"

Aela tried to sit up, but collapsed back onto the bedroll. "A mistake? I don't understand."

Serana pressed her finger to Aela's lips. "She didn't know we were together…" Valerica clucked in disapproval, but Serana ignored her and continued. "…She decided my needs were greater than your own."

Aela gave a curt nod, her hand lingering at her temple. "It matters not, only that you and Azriel are safe."

Serana's eyes slid shut, the silence that filled the air where Azriel sarcastic response should have been, tore her apart. "Mother, where is Azriel?" She asked the question, knowing within herself the answer when she had looked to where the portal once was. Valerica hesitated for too long, Serana opened her eyes and looked directly at her.

"She remains in the Soul Cairn."

Aela bolted upright. "You left her there?!"

"The Ideal Masters were closing the portal and Serana was unconscious. She chose to remain behind to allow our escape." Valerica began to pace.

"We need to reopen the portal." Aela growled back at her.

Serana helped Aela get to her feet, watching her mother pace. More so, that her mother was slowly looking around her laboratory, taking it in. The silence weighed heavy for the next few seconds.

Valerica turned to face them, halting her pacing. "That will not be possible."

"What? Why…?" Aela's aggravation was clearly conveyed through her tone.

"The Ideal Master's closed the portal to trap us in the Soul Cairn. Serana and the Dragonborn's defeat of their minions proved that their souls were more valuable than my own. It was the Dragonborn's sacrifice that allowed us to flee. To re-enter would be suicide."

Serana was fairly certain that would be the greatest compliment her mother would ever pay Azriel, even if it made her feel like weeping. Valerica looked away from her daughter, looking instead to the rotten book cases Aela had broken apart to make firewood. Serana couldn't help feeling a bit sorry for her mother. Time's passage was only beginning to weigh on Valerica, that much was obvious. Serana looked to Aela, who leaned against the far wall. "Aela, how long have we been gone?"

Aela didn't look up from the spot on the floor she stared at. "A week..."

The frozen wind whistled through the crumbling mortar of the tower. Outside, a storm was brewing.

"A week?" Serana repeated the words in a disbelieving whisper.

"Serana, Harkon knows I'm in Tamriel. To remain here…" Valerica moved next to her. "…we must find a safe haven to formulate a plan of action."

Serana didn't move, nor did Aela.

Valerica's hand found Serana's arm. "Grieve if you must, but not here. We are not safe nor must we allow her sacrifice to go in vain."

Serana shoved her hand away. "I'll grieve now, mother. It isn't your place to tell either of us when we should."

Valerica began to pace again. "You can be such a petulant child."

Aela looked up as the vampire neared her. She watched Valerica carefully. "They were gone a week. How long have you been in there for?"

Serana watched Valerica step closer and inhale. Valerica's demeanor changed slightly. "I… can't be sure." She smelled the air again.

Aela took a step back, her foot hitting the wall.

Instantly, Serana was between Aela and Valerica. "Too long." She kept Aela directly behind her, watching her mother's luminous eyes.

Valerica threw Serana a mixed look of impatience and anger. The face she made quickly changed to disgust. "Oh Serana, as if I would drink from a dog."

Serana slapped Valerica's face. "You insulted Azriel and now you insult Aela? How could you after everything? They aren't dogs. Don't insult either of them again."

Valerica rubbed her cheek, the glare she gave Serana was dangerously indescribable. "How many pets do you keep?"

Aela growled low in warning. "I'm not leaving her to rot in Oblivion. If neither of you will return for her then I will."

Valerica scoffed at her. "Do you think it would be so easy?"

"Mother, please…"

Valerica ignored Serana. "One cannot simply open a portal to Oblivion. There are prep…"

"I don't think you heard me, vampire." Aela stepped around Serana. "I'm not leaving her there." She glared at Serana. "Whatever it takes, I will go and find her. You can do what you need to do."

Serana was torn, knowing that getting the portal to re-open would be impossible. Yet, leaving Azriel alone to die in the Soul Cairn wasn't an option. Aela's determination firmed her resolve as well.

"Serana, forgive me. I've been in pain for days. I know she's hurt." Aela added in a much gentler tone.

The mention of Azriel's pain reminded her that Aela too shared a bond with her. Serana dimly gave her head a nod. "She is. But, there's nothing we can do without more reagents…"

The tower began to shake violently. The grating of stones grinding together interrupted their argument. The three women looked at each other in utter shock. Dust filled the air as stones broke apart from the circle. The mortar between them crumbled, falling through the cracks. Purple-blue light shone from the small openings in the tower floor. The three women backed away from the newly forming portal and each other.

"What in the name of Hircine is happening?" Aela shouted to Serana.

The tower trembled harder as the stones tore themselves away from each other. The light pervaded the tower, intensifying with the loss of each stone.

"The portal is re-opening." Serana shouted back.

They watched in fascination as the stones dropped out of sight instead of forming stairs. Valerica stood opposite of Serana and she could see her mouth moving, but not hear her words.

"What?" Serana shouted at her, but Valerica motioned them to step away from the portal.

Electricity shot out, arcing in all directions, scorching the ancient stones where they had been standing a moment before.

"GET OUT!" A multitude of voices cried out as one as the last stone dropped away.

The three women exchanged looks over the portal as electrical fluxes exploded around them.

Azriel flew through the portal, her radiant sword and shield flying away from her. The sword flew past Valerica, striking point-first into the wall next to her head. Aela ducked just as her shield flew over her head, knocking over the silver basin up on the loft. Azriel herself crashed high into the wall next to the door leading back through the castle passages. Her body dropped to the floor in a crumpled heap.

Serana jumped over the closing portal, landing next to Azriel. She rolled her badly bruised and lacerated body over, wiping the soaked tangles from her face.

Aela skid next to her. "Is she…"

Azriel chuckled. "Dead?" She croaked out hoarsely. "No…" She kept chuckling dryly.

Serana scrutinized her. She didn't think it was possible for Azriel to be in any worse shape. Very little remained of her clothing, she was sopping wet, and her laughter seem completely out of place. She looked at Aela, who stared at her in awe.

"What in Oblivion just happened?" Aela returned her look, watching Azriel choke back tears, still in a fit.

Serana only shrugged. She didn't have a clue.

"We won't be going on a vacation there any time soon." Azriel finally managed, though still giggling.

"Fool!" Serana looked over her shoulder to see Valerica standing with her arms crossed. "What have you done?"

Azriel turned her head, Serana saw more cuts on her face, the largest running from her forehead down over her right eye to her cheek. For a moment Serana watched as she appraised her mother. "I cut them a deal they couldn't refuse."

Serana gaped at her in disbelief, behind her Valerica drew a sharp breath. She started to protest, but Azriel cut her off. "Not like that." She moved her left hand.

Lifting it, Serana saw a red soul gem in it. "Is that…?"

Azriel slipped it into her bag. "The little dragon's." She looked up at Serana, the humor suddenly left her. "When we finish this… We're going to bring him back. He doesn't deserve the madness of that place. He should be free, so I claimed his soul from them as part of the deal."

"What deal could you possibly make with them, Dragonborn?" Valerica asked in disbelief.

Azriel pulled herself into a more comfortable sitting position. "The little dragonling, your soul, and Serana's are mine. In trade, I'd stop destroying their conduits and they let me go."

Serana watched as she pulled a rag from her ruck sack and gingerly dried her face and hands on it. "Why are you wet? There wasn't any water…"

Azriel smirked. "I called a storm."

Aela looked at her in shock, but quickly recovered. Serana looked between them for a second, trying to decide if that was even possible.

"We can talk about this later…" Aela held her bag and supplies. "…we need to get you patched up. Serana, your mother is right, we cannot remain here lest we wish to be captured."

This time, Valerica looked shocked. Serana smirked knowing that Valerica would be confused by Aela's submission. Serana stood up and moved to give Aela room to work. Valerica resumed her pacing, stopping only to inspect the closed portal. It had closed so quickly Serana hadn't even noticed it happen. She sat on the ancient sofa near the door to the balcony to watch each of them in turn. Valerica resumed her haunt of the confines of the tower, investigating everything with a disgruntled look solidly on her face. Aela pulled Azriel's dragonscale armor from her ruck sack and was examining it while Azriel rested. Their trip would be long to get to the Moth Priest and Azriel was exhausted beyond reason.

Azriel stood next to the door, moving her hand over it, muttering. The magic barrier rippled then disappeared.

"Impressive. Where did you learn to do this?" Valerica scrutinized her. "This magic is older than I."

"A ghost in an old Nordic ruin taught to me. I had to fight an ancient king who had been cursed. Before the ghost disappeared, he taught me old destruction spells including this one as payment." Azriel answered, adjusting her ruck sack in place. Her Daedric sword and shield were replaced with her twin dragonbone swords on her back with her fang in her red sash belt. "Let me lead us out. There's something that's been bothering me since we got up to the tower."

Azriel pushed open the door and peered into the darkness. She quickly led the group down the series of stairs and through the twists until they had entered the old planning room. Azriel quickly crossed the large room, passing the broken ladder and dried up bile on the floor. The door's enchantment was still intact. She removed the spell guarding the wooden door and put her hand on the latch. She had a bad feeling, like she had already experienced what was coming. She looked over her shoulder at them. "Let me go first, watch for my signal." Both Serana and Aela could feel her apprehension.

"What is it?" Aela asked quietly.

"I had a dream and…" Azriel shook her head. "…I just have this bad feeling we're going to run into some trouble. Go with it, alright?"

Aela nodded, letting her exit the room in front of them. She lingered at the doorway with Serana and Valerica.

Azriel crept ahead silently. "Laas. Yah. Nir." She saw the vampire hiding behind the tapestry covered false-wall, knowing he was waiting for her to pass. She crept forward after ensuring the others were out of sight. As she did, the vampire leapt out behind her. She spun around, knowing what was coming next. When he swung his blade for her neck, she bent backwards, avoiding the throat slitting that she had dreamt about before entering the Cairn. Before he could recover, she drove her open palm into his chin. The vampire's head snapped back as Azriel delivered a sweeping kick to his legs. The vampire spiraled to the ground and Azriel kicked him against the wall. The vampire yelped when Azriel grabbed him by his arm holding the knife and leather armor, lifting him from the floor. She slammed his arm against the wall, twisting it. "Fucking drop it or I'll tear your arm off!" The vampire dropped the knife and Azriel pinned him with her body, turning his head roughly towards the others. "Who is this?"

The vampire's eyes went wide staring at Valerica and Serana. "My Queen…"

"No one of importance." Valerica's eyes never left the feral vampire.

Azriel drew back her hand as the vampire began to whimper. "Please! My Lady, I have served you well and… Argh!" Azriel's hand punched into the vampire's chest. She ripped out his heart and showed it to him as he began to disintegrate.

"That's for killing me the first time…"

Thanks for proof-reading, Child of Sithis.