Lucline skipped backwards, her conjured spear unable to pierce the powerful ward her mentor had used. She jumped sideways and pushed the butt into his side, making him let out his air in a gasp. She attempted to drive a kick into his exposed stomach but he moved and she barely stopped herself from crashing into a book shelf. She heard the sound of casting and spin her spear, dispelling the fire bolt as it came for her.

"I see, even after three years, you've not lost your edge. Perhaps I underestimated how difficult it would be if you bonded with the child."

"Why send me at all? You had to know I wouldn't comply with hurting a child. What was the plan?" She made three swift jabs at him.

He deflected each one as he answered. "She was supposed to be grabbed from her own bedroom. You two were supposed to be too late to save her from the brotherhood. As one of our best, there would be no Stigma from the Society as there was no way to connect us to them. And when we were done with the Brotherhood, we intended you and Rasina to deal with the underlings. You two would have been famous for taking down a cult and the Society would have keep running while Vanus came back into his powers in the few form."

Lucline could feel Vanus' contempt from where he was working and trying to help Tira.

"Did you know Vanus spoke to me, from his soul gem?" She asked him as they continued their dance around the room.

"How lucky you are, is he excited to come back to life?"

"No, he wants to be released to pass on."

Arnlec sighed as he stepped back. "I was afraid of that. I didn't even think of trying to speak to his spirit. I assumed being in the crytsal was torture and he would want a body back."

Vanus called out. "Well, he's not wrong about the pain. But it's not worth the life of a child."

"He said it's not worth the life of a child." She heard the door open and saw from the corner of her eye a Breton woman in the robes of the Brotherhood. "Hey, stay out, your boss told you… Mother? Why are you here."

The Breton woman, Lucline's own mother only smiled and flicked her hand at Tira. A spike of ice shot forth and flew towards the girl. She did not think, releasing her conjured spear. She jumped, trying to block the icy blast with her own body. However, she felt magic push her back. She looked up to see a determined look on the spirit of Tira, her hand out streched. The spirit had thrown magic at her and pushed her back from the spike.

Lucline screamed as the spike slammed into Tira's small chest. She could see the spirit link between Tira and her body sever.

"There, now the foolish child cannot go back." Her mother's cold voice, colder than any magic, spoke. "Hurry, Arnlec. Heal the body and pulled Vanus spirit in before the body starts to decay."

Arnlec, however, coughed. Lucline saw blood come from his lips. She recalled his words.

"You old bitch!" She yelled at her mother. "He was linked to the ritual. You killed Tira so you killed Arnlec."

She got up on shaky feet.

"Oh do shut up, you disappointment. I'll deal with you…"

She never got to finish those words, as Lucline had leapt across the room and struck her mother in the stomach. She smiled as she saw her tormentor fall unconscious on the floor. But she had no time in savoring the moment. She turned and ran to Vanus.

"Vanus, can she still be saved?"

The spirit of the High Elf was sweating, she had not know they could do that. "Yes, but it will not be easy."

"What ever it takes. Please, save Tira's life. Even if I have to give up my own life or body, please save her."

"I can think of but one way. Tira, let me show you what I have in mind."

Something passed between the two powerful spirits. Tira nodded. "I like it."

"Miss Lucline, are you sure you are willing to do anything for Miss Tira?"

Lucline had looked at the girl. "I may have only known you for a few days, but I know I love you. If I could, I would adopt you in a heart beat. I would see all your dreams come true."

Tira was crying. "For some time, I've caught glimpses of what is to come. I told my parents ages ago that I wouldn't be with them for long. They knew someone else would raise me. From the moment I first laid eyes on you, Miss Lucline… I've had to resist the urge to call you Mama. I love you too, Mama."

Lucline was crying now as well, wishing she could hold the girl in her arms.

"As you are willing, Miss Lucline, I shall created a new body for Miss Tira from an egg in your womb. You won't carry her or anything but biologically speaking, she will be your daughter. There is a chance though that you will never be able to have more children after."

Lucline took a deep breath. "I understand. I grant you permission to use my egg to make a new body for Tira. I accept the risk."

Tira was sobbing now and tried to hug her but passed right through her.

"Patience, child. You can hug your savior soon. Now, I required you to remove a hair and coat in in blood from yourself and Miss Tira."

Lucline took out a hairbrush from her pouch and carefully removed a hair from it. "I always keep track of every lost hair."

"Good practice."

Vanus gave her a smile as she wet one end in Tira's blood from her poor broken corpse. Then she summoned a daedric dagger and pricked her thumb and spread her blood on the other end of the hair.

She handed the hair to Vanus who somehow took it. He started chanting and there was in intense pain in Lucline's body. She fell over, having contractions and seizures as the spell went on. She bit her lip, enduring the pain. It was for Tira's sake. She blacked out as some power came out of her and the pain ended.

*Elder-Scrolls*

Lucline awoke in her old bedroom in the Dufrey mansion. She blinked and looked at a blonde girl with blue eyes looking at her. Her hair was long and completely unruely as the girl smiled.

"Mama, you're awake!" Tira's voice came from the girl and Lucline felt her eyes sting as she held open her arms.

The child she had taken a shine too, born again from her own flesh. She felt a lover far deeper than she had ever know before as she held Tira in her arms. The door opened and Rasina came in her left arm in a sling. She had a nasty cut over her right eye that was closed but not healed.

"Why didn't you let anyone heal that with magic?" Lucline asked, worried at the answer.

"They did, on my arm. It's just sore and I was told to keep it still. As for the cut above my eye, I've decided to let it heal on it's own. If it scars, it will remind me of the battle with my Aunt. I wish I could have taken her alive but she accidentally stepped in front of a spell from Lobamog's opponent. We all won our fights, though Vasfer's condition is critical. Not sure what he was hit with but magic doesn't seem to be fully healing it. We came in to find Tira in her new body watching over you. I thought she was going to take my head off for a moment there. By the way, we are calling her Tiara Dufrey, Tira for short. She's always liked tiara's so we decided her new name as a Breton should reflect that. Your mother is to be hanged for murdering Riatira, a prisoner of the Brotherhood. Your father faces life in prison."

"Wow, I missed a lot. Tira, are you OK with taking my name?"

Tira giggled and kissed her cheek. "More than OK, Mama."

She run her hands through Tira's hair and started to braid her hair in a little crown again.

"We'll get your signed up to be a squire just as soon as you turn seven." Lucline promised. "Though, not sure when that is."

"I suggest we keep her same birthday." Rasina chuckled. "We are telling people that Tira was the reason you were shipped off to Hammerfell. Got pregnant off a one night stand and they hid the fact you had a child for a few years before you left to raise your daughter where you didn't have to hide her to avoid family shame."

Lucline snorted. "Like I would have a one night stand with a man. Still, it's pretty good as stories go. I could see my parents doing that. Things are going to change, real quick, you know?"

Rasina nodded. "Least of all, you are head of the Dufrey family now. As eldest, your criminal parents cannot appoint either of your siblings, who are busy with their own pursuits in any case."

Lucline frowned. "Wait, so I have to stay here and take care of the estates?"

Rasina nodded. "Plus being a Lady. That's alright. I cannot go back to Hammerfell, with the bounty on my head. Think you might have room here for a Redguard Ansei who likes it in your bed?"

Lucline grinned. "Well, I am a mother but I've not even been pregnant yet. We could fix that, or try too. There's a chance I cannot have another child but I'm willing to try if you are."

Tira clapped her hands. "Please, get to work on a baby sister for me! I'm gonna go and check on Vasfer. He is resting upstairs."

Lucline chuckled as Tira, her Tira now, ran off and into her childhood home. Then her attention was distracted by Rasina kissing her and she felt her heart soar as her beloved gave her attention.

She noticed a potion bottle on the stand and smiled. Perhaps there would be two litte Dufrey's running around soon.

A/N: Thusly ends the Brothergood of Galeron arc that I have been setting up since Chapter 1. Next time we will begin the Countess of Camlorn Arc, which will start a few weeks after the events of this story. I might go back and write out the other battles at some point. Lucline and Rasina will also get married at the start of the next chapter as well, so look forward to that. See you tomorrow.