Serana
I have no clue how long I slept, or what happened during that time, except what Torbin told me. The last thing I remembered was being shut in that box, and then I was awake, falling out of the tomb that had been my prison for however long. The man who stood before me was a Nord, and not a very large one at that. He stood at eye level with me, and although he appeared to be well built he was still not as broad or muscle bound as other Nords I had known. His hair was dark, and somewhat shaggy and his face was covered by a small beard. Dark, sullen eyes studied me as I tried to look around. His left one was marred by a small scar that ran through the corner of his eyebrow and around halfway down his cheek.
His armor appeared to be black leather, with silver buckles running up the chest and a belt to match, as he turned to check his surroundings and ensure no ambush was coming, I caught a glimpse of an ebony dagger next to a canteen. On the right side of his belt hung a war axe, although I did not recognize the symbol stamped along the blade. A sword that appeared to glow from the hilt was in his hand, although he had not leveled it at me.
"Woah!" He exclaimed, catching me as I stumbled forward "Easy there."
I managed a glance around him to see a few dead bodies and shattered remains of skeletons, as well as dark pools of black, indicating dead Deathounds.
"Who are you?" He asked me, helping me to stand "How did you get in there?"
"Could you not ask so many questions?" I snapped at him "I don't even know where I'm at."
I took another look at him, surprised at how young he seemed when you looked past the layer of dirt and blood on his face. He looked around his early twenties, the same age I was, or had been I suppose.
"You're at a place called Dimhollow Crypt," He told me "I was sent here by a man named Isran to investigate what the vampires were up to, it looked like they were trying to figure out how to unlock this tomb."
"Who are you?" I asked
"Who are you?" He countered
I considered for a moment before speaking, he did just save me after all, the least I could do would be to give him my name.
"My name is Serana." I told him
He looked closer at my face, his grip tightened on his sword for the briefest of moments before it relaxed again. He smiled slightly, and I realized he had been looking into my eyes.
"You're a vampire." He said "Isran would want me to kill you."
"Try it." I growled, reaching for my dagger, wondering if I could cut his throat before his sword pierced my heart
"I'm not going to kill you," He laughed, either not seeing or ignoring my dagger "Do you know how long you were in there?"
"I'm not sure," I admitted "Who's the High King?"
"That's actually a matter for debate." He shrugged
"What do you mean?" I asked
"I mean Skyrim has been plunged into a civil war between the Empire and Stormcloaks and the High King is dead." He told me
"The Empire?" She asked "Stormcloaks?"
"The Empire," He said slowly "From Cyrodiil."
"Not ringing any bells." I shrugged
"Doesn't really matter," He said "Why don't we get you out of here and-is that an Elder Scroll?"
"Yes," I said, glaring at him "And it's mine, so back off."
He put his hands up and nodded, a small grin playing at his lips. I glanced around the tomb, looking for a way out.
"Now," I said, turning back to him "I told you my name, how about you tell me yours?"
"My name is Torbin," He shrugged "I'm here on behalf of the Dawnguard, Skyrim's first defense against the current vampire threat. I am the Dragonborn."
"Dragon what now?" I asked, confused
"Oh boy, you must've been out of it for a while," Torbin said, shaking his head back and forth "I'm a mortal with the soul of a dragon, or something like that anyways."
"Sounds interesting," I remarked "I take it you must be revered as a hero throughout the land."
"Not particularly," He responded solemnly "Some would even go so far as to call me a traitor."
"A traitor?" I asked, surprised by the answer "Why?"
"There are a great many in Skyrim who believe I should've sided with the Empire." He said
"Why didn't you?" I found myself asking
"Never held much love for the Empire anyhow," He grunted "They've let the Thalmor run amok in Skyrim since I was a boy."
"I thought you were here on behalf of the Dawnguard," I said suspiciously as he poked around the tomb "Do you serve the Stormcloaks or the Dawnguard?"
"Both." He answered simply
"How, pray tell, does that come to pass?" I asked
"When I was fifteen, I found myself in the thieves guild." He told me "During a job in Solitude, some years later, I…..murdered a Thalmor officer. When I ran, I ended up walking right into an ambush set for Ulfric Stormcloak, they took me to Helgen and the Empire was going to take my head even though I wasn't on their lists. Afterwards, I followed Ralof, the man who helped me escape during a dragon attack, to Riverwood and went with him to send word to the Jarl in Whiterun of the dragon attack."
"What about the thieves guild?" I asked him
"I returned for a short time," He admitted "But my heart wasn't in it anymore. I wanted out. The guildmaster had betrayed us, and after that whole mess I told Brynjolf I was finished. Vex took the oath of the Nightingale in my place and I headed to anywhere but Riften."
I had no idea who any of these people were but I thought it best not to pry. The memory seemed distant yet still painful to him, and so I elected to change the subject instead.
"And headed to the Dawnguard?" I guessed
"No, actually," He chuckled "I went to Whiterun, I didn't know that I was wanted inside the city, something about a shopkeeper being robbed, it may have been me or not, I don't remember to be honest with you. I didn't make it far before I ended up in a cell, but I heard the Jarl was offering a huge reward for anyone brave enough to take on his fool's errand to some ruins in the West. I bribed a guard to tell the Jarl he'd found his man but when I returned a dragon was attacking their western watchtower. I helped them kill the beast but once it was dead something strange happened. I absorbed it's soul and suddenly there was a strange shouting from the throat of the world, so I answered the Greybeards summons to High Hrothgar."
"And the Thalmor?" I asked "What are they doing here?"
"The Empire lost a war with them," He explained "The Thalmor wanted control of Skyrim so they use the Empire to maintain it. They banned worship of Talos, obviously something that sits very badly with Nords, which was how the war started."
"And now?" I asked
"Now, I'm a commander in the Stormcloak army," He told me "When I heard news of vampire attacks and the like I left my friend Ralof in command and headed south to Fort Dawnguard to try and help.
"So you're a vampire hunter," I told him "You haven't killed me yet, I'd prefer you do it to my face if you're feeling up for suggestions."
"I don't intend to kill you," He said simply, sheathing his sword "I took no oath to kill vampires, I took an oath to protect Skyrim against all who would threaten her, as far as I can tell you're not a threat, just a Vampire."
I didn't know what to say, he was a very fascinating individual, that much I would give him. I usually felt hunger for mortals, but I felt curiosity towards him, the way an animal does with humans. Not quite threatened, but not really relaxed either.
"Why don't we get out of here?" He asked suddenly "Is there any place I can take you?"
"Home," I said immediately "There's a castle just off the northern coast of Skyrim, Castle Volkihar."