The Ancestor Glade turned out to be east of Falkreath, half a week's travel distance from Fort Dawnguard. We passed through the town of Helgen, resupplying at the stores, and resting at the inn.

Serana discovered a local woman was doing a small mead brewing operation, mixing juniper berries in for a unique flavor. I am not a fan of mead, but Serana liked the 'sharp, clean, slightly citrusy flavor,' and bought a few bottles to stow away in her pack.

That night we rested at the inn, and the next morning, consulted the map for a final time before heading out.

Leaving Helgen, we had half a day's hike to the west before finding the path that branched off the road. Falkreath's hold was essentially a large pine forest where the slow, dripping rain never stopped. Which of course, meant that the unpaved path was a steep, winding hike along a mud-caked trail. The entrance turned out to be high in the mountains, above the snowline. We paused long enough to use sticks to scrape the worst of the now-frozen-and-clumped mud from our boots before going in. Our horse was not keen on going inside, and it took some coaxing.

The passageway was windy and cramped, leading into a small, overgrown passageway where ferns seemed to eke out their half-frozen existence. The place was dim, with a few fallen trees making their slow way toward decomposing to mulch.

"Hmph," Serana's voice was filled with disappointment. "Not very impressive, is it? If this ends up being a wasted trip, Dexion and I are going to have some words when we get back."

"Don't blame him," I advised gently. "He only knows the location of the glades. It was never said that the place would be maintained. For all we know, this is just a place where the moths were discovered to breed. Nature is harsh, and conditions change."

We found the main path choked by a collapse of stones sometime in the past. It took considerable hunting among the growth to find a small path. We let the horse browse in the plant-filled alcove while we unpacked the scrolls and took the path. We crossed one of the fallen trees; thankfully in sturdy enough condition. Soon we wound our way through a tunnel that had been mined and shaped through the rock. I was grateful that at least some maintenance had been done to keep the caves accessible.

We rounded a bend and even I gasped softly at the sight before me.

Like the Gildergreen cave, this place was a marvel of nature. Though not as lush or vibrant, pine trees stood like tall, green sentinels in the terraced cave that wound its way to the bottom. Small clusters of flowers dotted the places where the sun shone through the ceiling, and the icy exterior did not touch the cool interior. The sun blazed downward through a massive hole in the roof, providing general light, but also leaving a condensed sunbeam on a particular spot. I suspected that was where the tool for the ritual was enshrined. A waterfall cascaded down the far wall, sending water rushing along natural paths to provide for the terraced glade.

Though not as well maintained, there was still a clear, functional path into the glade, giving visitors a circling tour.

Serana's mood lightened immediately, "Wow. Look at this place. It's beautiful."

I smiled, glad we had found another place where Serana could appreciate natural beauty. "Have you ever seen anything like this?"

"No, never. I doubt there's any other place like it in Skyrim." We were nearing the bottom of the path and had come to where the water spilled and pooled. "From now or... before. There's probably groves like this all over Tamriel, but I'll bet most people don't even know what to look for."

In the center of the shaft of light, a large stone ring stood vertically in a large stone cup. Placed reverently within the stone ring, was the tool that Dexion had called the draw knife. Shaped like a squared-off C of metal, one side had what looked like the teeth of a saw blade on it.

I picked it up carefully, surprised at its good condition despite the long neglect the cave had experienced. "Well, we got the knife... Now, all we need to do is track down one of those Canticle trees. He said they should be in bloom this time of year. Let's look for trees with white and pink blossoms."

There was one only a few yards away, and a quick look around revealed five trees in total. Small swarms of fluttering moths swirled and landed around them.

I double-checked the notes I had taken to be sure I knew what to do. The ritual was not a grandiose thing, so much as a simple task of making myself attractive to the tiny fluttering creatures. I scraped the teeth of the tool over the bark, using no more pressure than if I were using a broom to sweep up dust. Tiny bits of bark showered down on me, into my hair, and onto my clothes. A scent that was both slightly sweet and spicy built around me, giving me a vague impression of cinnamon, vanilla, and sugar.

Immediately a faint trilling sound began to ring in my ears, as the fluttering moths lost interest in the trees and began to flutter around me.

Serana perked up, a bit amused and a little delighted as well, "Look at them... they've definitely taken a liking to you. And unless I'm seeing things, you're starting to... glimmer."

"Couldn't hurt to gather more I suppose." I shrugged, and began a long, winding trek through the glade, gently scraping off the bark and attracting moths.

I found the final cluster of moths, and abruptly blazed up like a giant, golden Magelight as they joined the swirling swarm around me. "Woah! I think that might have been what we were waiting for. Let's head back to the center, where the dais is, and see if we can read the scrolls."

I put the blade back in its spot, stepped directly into the column of light on the dais, and held my hand out.

"Ready?" Serana asked, carefully unhitching the first scroll's tube from her back and setting it in my hand.

"Ready as I'll ever be," I hoped I sounded a lot more steady than I felt. I sent a silent prayer to Stendarr and Meridia that this worked, and pulled the Elder Scroll from the tube, holding the question in my mind;

'Where can we find Auriel's bow?'

There was an echoing boom in my ears, similar to a peal of distant thunder, but somewhat off. An intricate symbol flared to life before my eyes; arcane lines and circles blazing in blue-white light. It looked like an old-time astronomy chart, depicting the movements of the stars in the skies. But then it started growing increasingly more and more complicated and crowded. Then the world faded from view as the chart faded, to be replaced by bold glowing lines that traced themselves across my vision. It took me a moment to realize that they marked Skyrim's waterways. I handed the scroll back to Serana.

Another scroll was placed in my hand, and I opened it, still focusing on the question. Dexion had been very firm about holding the question in my mind when opening the scroll to read it. Another not-thunder boom, and an image of my trusty map rose behind the blazing waterways. A symbol of ram horns bracketing a triangular braided knot flared to life on the map in the bottom left corner. The symbol of Markarth. I handed the scroll to my companion.

The third and final Elder Scroll landed in my hand and I opened it. The map moved north, following the Karth river to one of its larger tributaries to the south of Solitude. A glowing sigil marked the place and I took a strong mental note of it. The words 'Darkfall Cave.' seemed to sear themselves into my mind. My vision went white, another crack of not-thunder echoed in my ears, and then the world faded back into sight. As it did, the moth's golden light dissipated.

I blinked several times, trying to settle the knowledge in my head as the moths all turned and fluttered away from me, returning to their trees to continue their normal life cycles.

"Are you okay?" Serana asked worriedly, "Almost thought I lost you there... you went white as the snow. I never trusted those damn scrolls," she continued worriedly, before I could answer. "Who knows what those things could have done to you... just look at Dexion! Not to mention Septimus..."

"Don't worry, I'm fine," I reassured her, and was surprised to find that it was true. Whatever magic those moths had… it had worked. "That did feel strange, though."

"I could see it in your eyes. You looked about a thousand leagues away. What about Auriel's Bow? Do you know where we can find it?"

I nodded enthusiastically, "I do! It's in a place called Darkfall Cave."

"Then it's almost over." Serana sounded relieved, "We can finally get the bow, and hopefully rewrite the prophecy as we see fit. Where is Darkfall Cave?"

"The scrolls gave me its exact location." I pulled out my map and pointed without needing to search, feeling as though the knowledge had been fixed into my mind.

Serana eyed it and nodded, "Then let's get going. I want to get there before my father has a chance to track us down."

A bolt of shock magic lanced past my head, so close the entire left side of my face was left tingling. I made a very dignified 'Eep!' sound, and ducked; hastily folding my map and stuffing it in my pack before it could get burned to ash.

"Oops. I think I just jinxed us," Serana whipped around and fired an ice spear to cover me. A pained bellow from a gargoyle answered her and I rose with my sword in hand.

Two vampires, a pair of thralls and a Gargoyle came charging down the path at us. Blood sprayed, water splashed, and screams filled the air as Serana and I fought back.

The gargoyle charged in first with a sound between a howl and a low roar. Serana's ice spear protruded from its left shoulder, having punched straight through and out the other side, leaving its left arm useless. Even so, it was enraged enough to swing at me with its right arm. I danced back from what would have been a neck-breaking backhand blow and lunged forward again, thrusting with Dawnbreaker. I got lucky, and the gleaming blade sank between the creature's ribs; sliding through muscle, deep into its torso. The gargoyle's howl stuttered and faded, the light going out of its slitted, reptilian eyes as the heavy brute slowly slumped forward.

I wrenched my blade free and dodged the falling corpse as the two thralls rushed in, hot on the gargoyle's heels.

A Nord woman, with long blonde hair reaching to her shoulder blades, swung her battle axe at me. I managed to deflect the blow, but staggered backward from the force of it. She sneered in triumph and stepped forward to follow up the strike before I could recover. The world seemed to slow as I rolled away from her next blow, partially getting to my feet at the dais. I came to a stop against the pedestal, even as the Nord's axe parted the water where I had been.

The air was full of ice spears and bolts of shock magic as the Volkihar vampires and Serana dueled with magic. I realized that this was a bad place for any human to be caught in the middle. There were far too many pools of water that carpeted the bottom of the glade.

In the next instant, a crackle filled my world, and my vision went blue-white for an instant. An errant bolt of shock magic hit the thrall. Her entire body went rigid, even as the bolt threw her sideways to land with a splash on her back.

I felt a pang of foreboding, even as I turned to face the second thrall. If we hadn't been in the middle of a raging battle, I would have tried to resuscitate her, but as it was, my sword had to lock with the blade of an infuriated Dunmer.

His skin was dark, like mine, but whereas my Redguard skin tones ran along the lines of rich brown sculpting clay, his Dunmer skin followed an ashy volcanic gray. His hair had been pulled back and tied in a practical ponytail, and a goatee bracketed his chin, though some stubble along his jawline said it had been a day or so since he'd shaved. His red eyes glowered into mine as his lip curled in a sneer.

There was a sound like shattering glass behind him, and a distant cry as another of Serana's many ice spears scored.

"Mistress! Nooo! You… You bitch! I'll kill you!" The Dunmer screamed in instant fury, and kicked me backward, freeing his blade. With a howl of grief and rage, he spun away from me toward Serana.

I knew instantly what had happened, and acted on instinct. I swung the flat of my blade at his ankles, and he went down hard on the stone dais. I grimaced. If that hadn't broken his nose, he would be very lucky. I staggered to my feet and gave him a glancing blow to the backs of his knees, sending him sprawling again as he tried to get up.

"Sorry friend," I murmured, "but you'll get no revenge on this night." A sharp tap to the temple, and he stopped moving.

I pulled out my bow, nocked an elven arrow, and took careful aim. I was forced to wait several precious seconds. The damn bloodsucker was mostly obscured by a canticle tree at the base of the path leading down to us. The wait was long enough for Serana to cry out as a fireball smashed into her shoulder, setting her leather tunic smoldering. She dropped to one knee as the vampire strode forward in the sudden silence.

"Serana, your betrayal will not be dealt with lightly," the vampire sneered. "Your father already had serious doubts about your loyalty, and here I find you aiding and abetting the Dawnguard. You have a choice; come quietly, and you will be alive to face your punishment. Continue fighting, and I'll have to inform him that I had no choice but to end your miserable life."

Ugh. Monologuing. Why do they always monologue? All right you undead son of a skeever… Just a few more steps and…

The vampire finally strode clear of the obstruction and reached out to seize Serana by the hair and force her painfully to her feet. His wicked black blade was already bare in his free hand, "Make your choice- eeaugh!"

The vampire released Serana to clutch at his shoulder, staring in shock and horror at the arrow protruding from it.

Ssssshhhhnk!

The expression of shock and pain faded from the vampire's face as he collapsed, my second arrow jutting out of his forehead.

In the few seconds of silence, I bounded over to Serana, scooping water in my hands to put out the sparks on her tunic. She gazed at me, her expression empty and haunted for either a heartbeat, or an eternity, I wasn't sure which.

"Serana?" I murmured, tenderly.

She blinked and her vision cleared, "I... I'm okay. How are the thralls?"

I hurried to the female Nord, desperately hoping that I could give her chest a few pounds, and her lungs a few breaths, and it would be okay. But I stopped abruptly: the smell of charred meat hit my nose so heavily that I could almost taste it. Her clothes were scorched and her skin... Gods... I had once come upon the still-smoking scene of an Altmer storm mage, who had foolishly tried to wield lightning as if it were a basic shock spell. I looked away from the body of the thrall. The deaths looked identical to one another. She couldn't be saved. Not from… that.

My heart clenched. "May you find golden mead and good feasting in Sovngarde, lady," I whispered to her corpse.

Then I turned to the unconscious Dunmer and began to tie him securely to the base of the nearest canticle tree.

"I'm so sorry," Serana said, helping me tie the last knot when my hands fumbled and I had to pause to sniffle and wipe my eyes. "I know how hard you try to save them."

"Yeah," was all I could answer before my voice broke.

We took a break then, just… sitting amid the splashing of water and the fluttering moths. We were both lost in our dark thoughts, and to my surprise, there was an aqua-colored pop of magic while the thrall was still unconscious.

The release of the spell jarred him awake. He jerked against his bonds with a string of profanities before groaning in pain and befuddlement when he realized he couldn't move.

"Hey there," I greeted the dark elf with a tired smile. "Welcome back."

"I'm… back? Blessed Mara! I am back!" His voice wavered in wonderment. "I'm free of those damned bloodsuckers!"

I smiled, a little more genuinely, and rose to untie him.

"Tell me, kind lady, to whom do I owe my thanks?" The Dunmer had a slight accent that said he hadn't been raised in one of the aristocratic houses. His accent said he was a commoner, and if he was here in Skyrim, he had moved out into the world because there was nothing for him back home.

"Lasirah, Warden of Dawn. Good to meet you, mister…?"

"Daryn, milady. Daryn the Deft. Standard adventurer and sellsword, at yer service." As the ropes fell away, he rubbed his face with his newly freed hands. "By the gods, I thought for sure I would die as a slave to those vampires."

Then he winced and rubbed his temple, "Oi, you've got me right and proper though, didn't you?"

I dug a healing potion out of my pack and offered it to him with a small smile, "Sorry about that. Here, I'm sure you could use it. No, my friend, no charge. Just… pay it forward someday, okay?"

"Gladly, sera," he agreed gratefully, and downed the potion in a few long swallows. His expression relaxed a little as it took hold, and he massaged his arms, which seemed to have taken the brunt of his fall.

He lifted his gaze, gave Serana a long look, then turned to look at me with open curiosity in his ruby eyes.

"Forgive me, sera," he said diffidently, "But what in the gods' names is a Dawnguard doing wit' a vampire?"

"Long story," Serana said, "But we've... gotten to be friends and companions over time."

I nodded my confirmation, then took the conversation in a new direction before he could get nosy. "Where are you going with your new freedom, friend Daryn?"

He heaved a sigh, "I'm thinkin' of maybe going to Whiterun and hiring meself out at the inn or some such. Me luck seems to be more keen on biting me ankles than waggin' its tail. Figure wit' the Companions bein' nearby and all, I may get some good honest work in me pockets and a lot fewer opportunities to get me killed."

"That sounds like a good plan," I clasped forearms with him warmly. "Good luck."