Serana finally deemed me strong enough to continue, and we began to make in-depth explorations of the upper part of the vale. The corpses of the two dragons lay sprawled on the ice. Well… what was left of the dragons, anyway. Durnehviir was disturbingly impressive in his strength, despite being what amounted to a lich. Normally they were creatures better suited to magic than physical power. Finding the lower jaw of one dragon, all the way across the lake from where the rest of their severed head lay, said a lot.
Bless the divines for my Dragonbone arrows then… The thought was rueful. I definitely wouldn't have made it in a battle against Durnehviir with my sword, even with its powers against the undead. Hmm. That gives me an idea...
I shamelessly made use of what I could pry off of the dragons' dismembered bodies, and came away with splinters of shattered bones, teeth, and claws. I had no more ebony shafts to attach them to, but refitted my elven arrows wherever I could.
The results were a little amateurish looking, I'll admit. I preferred to buy my arrows rather than fletch them myself, but I knew enough to make it work out in the middle of nowhere. In the end, my arrows were perfectly serviceable with dragon parts, capable of piercing the toughest of hides.
We returned to the fourth wayshrine and crossed over a stone bridge, before following the path back down to the Falmer huts we had seen all those days ago. The path continued to follow the riverbank north, as the walls of a canyon quickly rose over our heads. There were two Falmer tents, with the now extinguished campfire between them. I didn't ask Serana why the Falmer weren't coming back to their camp; I didn't need to.
After making sure nobody was home, we examined an unlocked gate across a path that zigzagged up the side of a mountain. The huts, and the gate, were made of chaurus parts, supported by bones of unknown origin. The gate itself used the insect's legs to form intersecting bars that curled out of the way when pushed.
After a couple of switchbacks that climbed the cliffside, we came upon another natural stone bridge that soared across the gap to another stone path. There was another Falmer tent, though this one was occupied by a Falmer magic user. Serana and the Falmer exchanged magical blows until she managed to drop it with an ice spear to the chest.
Looking ahead, I realized that this canyon hosted an entire settlement of Falmer. Across the stone bridge, the path continued to follow the river that ran far below. We reached another bridge, this one made by the Falmer. I decided not to try to count how many Chaurus had to have been raised and butchered to build an entire settlement. Huts were clinging to bare stone walls, and chitinous bridges flew across open air to connect distant stone ledges.
We soon discovered that being blind didn't stop the damn Falmer from using bows and arrows, and I snarled several curse words under my breath as I took an arrow to the shoulder. Stendarr bless my armor, I thought, as the Dawnguard armor turned the nasty strike into nothing more than an ugly bruise and a minor puncture wound.
I fired back, and after a brief but intense battle that drew several of the damn 'Mer on us, I gathered up the Falmer arrows that were serviceable. Waste not, want not, and all that. Meridia, these arrows are nasty!
The standard elven arrows I preferred had a basic, elongated diamond shape for the arrowhead, with the piercing tip being broader than the part attached to the shaft. Even the dragon parts I had salvaged were simple piercing tips with nothing extra to cause worse damage.
The Falmer arrows had a large hooked point overshadowing a smaller hooked point that aimed inward and nestled in its shadow. I wondered how the Falmer knew what a mud crab's claw looked like since there didn't seem to be any in the vale. Regardless, the arrows would do ugly things to the flesh they grasped.
I again blessed my armor as I carefully worked the arrow free of the hardened leather. The piercing injury that did get through was a bit deep, but not large. After a minute or two of my healing spell, the puncture wound was healed enough to be no more than a bruised ache.
I looked up at my companion… my girlfriend now... and saw her gazing at my shoulder with a peculiar expression. Her expression did not show hunger, or need. Or at least, not the need one would expect when a vampire sees a bleeding wound.
"Serana?" I asked gently, "Are you okay?"
"I feel… a little sick." The words came slowly. Her amber eyes rose to meet mine as I raised my eyebrows in mild concern and a little curiosity. "For the first time in... thousands of years, the smell of blood nauseates me. Is that… normal in relationships? Is it normal to have your very way of thinking... change like that?"
I paused and considered the question seriously, as well as what she was asking without words. I wasn't able to answer whether it was normal for a vampire, in general, to be nauseated by blood just because they were in a 'relationship.' Usually, the capacity for such emotional closeness simply wasn't there. There was always that disconnect between a thrall and the vampire that fed upon her.
This was pretty new territory for me too, and I was quite sure that there were very few chances for a relationship quite like ours over the years. The likelihood of them being written about was even less.
"In a sense, maybe?" I said instead, in a tone of hesitant agreement. "In our case, I think it's because you've gotten closer to me on an emotional level, and that it upsets you to see me injured. You're nauseated by my blood, because I'm someone you care about… truly care about."
Something softened in her eyes and she nodded slowly, with a tremulous smile coming to her lips. "Maybe," she agreed softly.
"I'm okay," I assured her, smiling at her. "Though unfortunately, I don't think I'll be able to avoid injuries completely."
"Just be careful, all right?" her voice trembled a little.
"With my luck lately?" I asked wryly. "I'll try, but no promises."
Serana made a face.
Once we were ready to continue, the path headed west over a large stone arch, which was marked by two strange posts on the far side. They looked like weird totems; a pole as tall as an average human, topped with what looked like antlers, hung with dangling feathers. I caught a glimpse of what could have been humanoid pelvic bones helping to support the antlers. Suddenly, looking closer wasn't necessary when it came to a Falmer's 'ingenuity' and architecture.
There isn't enough no-ness in the word 'No' to convey the no-ness of my "No," I mentally chanted. I didn't mind in the slightest that it sounded like I was six again, refusing to take up a stupid dare back at my village.
We trekked past the totem markers, firmly not looking any closer. The path continued to the west, and we found the upper entrance to a cave. Upon investigating, we found it was a shaft containing a ramp, spiraling its way down to the riverbank below. The riverbank turned out to be sketchy, and far too inclined to result in wading through the swiftly-flowing water. I could see chunks of ice and little clumps of snow in the water. After spotting a cluster of six Chaurus cocoons farther along the riverbank, we quickly returned to the upper pathway.
Serana and I both obtained some new wounds, fighting off more Falmer as we worked our long and difficult way through the settlement. Eventually, the path descended back to the canyon floor. The river was much shallower and less tumultuous here. Some Falmer fencing was stretched across the river's headwater, protecting two Falmer that happened to be guarding the entrance to a glacial crevice.
Of course, where else would a race of snow elves find a home than in a glacier? I groused to myself, steeling my nerves for what I knew had to happen.
Water flowed steadily out of the entrance, with no dry path to be seen. If we were to go further, we would have to wade. Grimly, I downed another potion of Resist Cold and ducked under the low entrance so we could make our way inside.
The entrance at the river's headwaters led into a partially flooded ice tunnel, leading into a huge open-roofed cavern. The cavern itself was deeply flooded, with various ledges and terraces rising above us.
There was a steady current running past us, and we scrambled up an icy ramp at the end of the tunnel. I had no inclination to go for a swim into the main part of the room. I had already gotten a dunking and hypothermia once, thank you very much... Not to mention the huts and chaurus-part bridges said that paddling helplessly under a hailstorm of arrows would be as bad for our health as the cold.
Thank Stendarr; this ice cave in the arse-hole of Skyrim wasn't as dark as I had feared. The interior seemed lit with diffuse light from the sun filtering through the ice walls and spilling down from the open ceiling.
This place was far less maintained by the Falmer than the exterior village. We had to stop, backtrack, and find a new path several times as we came to dead ends with a lone, dilapidated hut at the end, or a broken Chaurus bridge.
I put down quite a few more Falmer with my arrows, retrieving them as I could, and swearing in an undertone when the occasional body plummeted into the icy water below. I shamelessly looted their archers for arrows, while Serana did the same with their magic users. A few wielded swords, but after a cursory check, chose to stick to good old Dawnbreaker.
The Falmer here were wearing armor made out of -you guessed it- more Chaurus chitin and body parts. It seemed these blind 'Mer were more resourceful and stingy with their resources than a miser's purse. They used the chaurus they raised for everything, with only scattered variations for the body parts from the humans and humanoids they slew.
Through an ice tunnel, we found a tripwire strung across our path. After a soft discussion, we tripped the trap safely. With an echoing double-slam, two claw traps sliced through the air in front of us and smashed violently against the opposite walls.
Another fight with the Falmer later and we stood, breathing hard and scowling around us, wary of a second wave drawn in by the racket. The echoes of our battle faded into the icy distance, but no more snarls sounded to signal that more were on their way.
"Looks like they're better at making traps than they are at making bridges," Serana murmured grimly, echoing my thoughts exactly. Then she added, "A strange race, these Falmer."
I thought back to Alftand and the horrible deaths the excavation team had suffered, and did not comment. The words I would have used would have been a lot harsher than 'strange.'
We worked our way through the system of glacial caves and eventually came to the exit and an isolated part of Forgotten Vale.
I sat back with a soft groan as I realized that the little village and the huts in the cavern were nothing more than the fringe of an entire Falmer town.
Two curved ramps led up to the first two raised tents, suspended by a combination of the ever-present Chaurus parts, bones of unknown origin, and long wooden poles.
We again worked our way through the paths and angry 'Mer, occasionally setting off traps and dealing with the alerted fighters.
Eventually, we came upon the Wayshrine of Radiance; the fifth and final wayshrine. I filled the ewer once the ghostly Prelate raised it and peered at the portals to make sure I recognized all the paths before backing out.
Finally, ahead of us was a final stone bridge spanning the canyon, and on the other side was what could only be the Inner Sanctum. We made our way past massive columns that had been knocked to the ground, chunks blasted out of them by spells from long ago.
The entire thing had been built with a love for arches, sloped peaks, and pure white stone.
"That... has to be the place," Serana said softly, "I've never seen a building like that before. It looks like some kind of temple. It... almost doesn't look real. You know?"
I nodded. Standing at the base of an arch that formed a gateway to a more elf-made bridge, I stared at a single block of white stone, which reached my shoulders. What feats of ingenuity and magic had created this place? And even now, millennia later, there were still marks of devastation. The magic required to build, and then destroy, this place was beyond my imagination.
The main building had icicles taller than a person hanging in front of the peaks, the blue ice a contrast to the pale building. At the other side of the bridge, we passed through another arch and up a flight of stairs to reach the main chantry courtyard.
A statue of an elf-like figure towered above us. Streamers of what must be magic rose from gauntleted hands and lifted the now-familiar sun sigil above his head. The entire statue had been cast from some sort of metal that had tarnished to pale green over the millennia.
"This is a statue of Auriel, but it's using the other signs of power." Serana jogged up to the statue and inspected it closely, then turned to me. Excitement was lighting up her glowing amber eyes, "This temple must be ancient... The bow has to be here!"
Two staircases led to a platform just behind the statue, and we waded through the dead-for-the-winter overgrowth before ascending. Here, on a pedestal, was a water basin, standing empty above three deep grooves in the floor of the entranceway. The door was made of interlocking metal bars that were vaguely similar in design to the chaurus leg gates of the Falmer. It was firmly locked with a two-part sun sigil rotated sideways so the split was horizontal. Right before the door was a deep indentation of the sun sigil as well.
This had to be it; this was where the initiates emptied their ewers and finished their lengthy pilgrimage.
Relieved to be able to empty the heavy thing, I poured the water into the basin. The basin remained full for only a few short seconds before a drain opened in the bottom. With a gurgling, rushing sound, the water flowed out of the basin and into the deep grooves. Running along them, it collected in the carved-out sun design.
A shaft of brilliant green light spilled down from above, and I looked up to see a green crystal filtering light into the water. Magic sang softly at the edge of my hearing and hummed along my skin even as I stood well back from the pool of water. There was a pause, and then a click as the lock on the door completed three rotations. There were sounds of heavy locks disengaging, with the split sigil now parting vertically.
We shared relieved looks.
"Be on your guard," Serana warned me softly, "We have no idea what's inside."
"Right," I drew my bow, keeping one of my newly fletched arrows in hand. Parting the metal doors, I stepped past them.