Authors Notes:

Hello all! I am so sorry about how long this chapter took. I spent quite a while trying to figure out how I wanted to craft the interactions between different characters in a similar way to the game, yet still unique.

My schedule has been upheaved due to an impending promotion at work and the welcoming of our first child. As always please leave me a review!

Chapter 6 - Unlikely Allies

Nightingale returned to Fort Dawnguard avoiding any major cities and small villages as he typically did. He stopped only once at a bandit camp to replenish his rations. With skills as great as his, Nightingale robbed the camp in the middle of the day without being noticed by a single soul.

It was the middle of the night when Nightingale returned to Dayspring Canyon. The canyon was illuminated only by the moonlight causing Nightingale to be entranced once again by the beauty that had been hidden away. The silver moonlight reflected off the water leaving the canyon bright enough to pass through safely. Nightingale stood still embracing the scenery but still felt as if he was a poison that would slowly seep into the valley destroying everything it came into contact with.

A fierce gust of freezing wind raced around Nightingale as he felt his body shiver at the sudden decrease in temperature. The icy wind caused Nightingale to stumble back and he quickly realized that he was struck with a remnant of someone's frost magic.

Nightingale turned and raced towards the tree line seeking cover as he sprinted towards the fort searching for the spell caster. As he ran, Nightingale heard the clap of thunder and yelling in the distance. Fort Dawnguard was under attack.

Reaching the bend in the path that led to the main gates of the fort, Nightingale saw a trio of Dawnguard members making a stand against around a dozen vampires.

The trio fought vigorously, cutting down any vampire that approached. Isran stood in the middle, between the orc Durak, and Celann, swinging his warhammer violently. Isran swung his hammer down crushing a vampire's skull upon contact. Before he could bring his weapon back up another vampire leaped at Isran, fangs bared. Israns eyes glowed as a bubble of restoration magic engulfed him and burned the vampire as it entered the aura.

Interesting. Nightingale thought to himself. If these fools are to help me get back inside of Castle Volkihar I need to see what they can do.

The vampire crashed to the ground howling in pain as its skin began to bubble and burn from the magic. Durak buried his axe into the beast's head. Blood ran down from the wound as the vampire's red eyes went dark.

Nightingale took cover in the foliage all but fading into the darkness as he watched the fight unfold.

The remaining vampires stopped advancing on the Dawnguard and began firing a mix of lightning bolts and ice spikes at the small squad.

Destruction spells collided and destroyed the weak wards Celann tried to summon.

"ADVANCE!" Isran shouted over the sound of magic. "LET US SEE HOW STRONG THEIR MAGIC IS IN CLOSE QUARTERS."

Durak and Celann roared in agreement as they followed Isran charging the remaining vampires. Isran deflected several bolts of lightning with the head of his Warhammer as he advanced.

The vampires tried to keep their distance from Isran's aura as he barreled towards them. However, once inside they drew their weapons and fought back as their skin bubbled.

A few vampires managed to stay out of Isran's magical barrier and continued hurling spells at him and his companions. One shard of ice managed to bury itself into Duraks shoulder causing him to fall to his knee.

"AGH!" Durak yelled. "KILL THE BLOOD SUCKERS!"

Durak rose to his feet and lobbed the head off the closest vampire to him with one furious swing. As blood began to trickle from the corner of his mouth, Durak hacked at any vampire that was foolish enough to enter his reach.

I can use courage like that. Nightingale thought. They're no use to me if they're dead.

Nightingale summoned his bow as he stepped from the shadows. The light purple magic wafted from the bow giving it a smoky presence. Nightingale pulled the drawstring back as hard as he could as he knocked an arrow and aimed for the vampire that injured Durak.

THWACK!

The bow snapped back into place with such force causing the sound to echo throughout the valley. The sound of the bowstring was so loud that it drew the gaze of the remaining vampires and subsequently the Dawnguard towards Nightingale. The ethereal arrow cut through the air with tremendous force and buried itself between the eyes of its target. The vampire fell to the valley floor instantly as the arrow broke through the back of his head.

Isran found Nightingale in the distance and locked eyes with him before giving a slight nod before resuming the fight.

Nightingale knocked a second arrow and fired it into the eye of another vampire who turned his attention towards Nightingale.

The vampires began to panic at Nightingale's sudden appearance, unable to coordinate their next attack. The Dawnguard fearlessly cut down the remaining vampires within their proximity as Nightingale took out the ranged attackers.

Seconds later the vampires lay motionless on the canyon floor, blood soaking into the soil beneath them. Nightingale's arrows faded from existence as he approached a scowling Isran. He stood facing Nightingale with the top of his Warhammer on the ground and both hands gripping the hilt, ready for another fight.

"Did we put on a good show?" Isran growled.

"I joined as soon as it was clear that you needed my help," Nightingale replied flatly.

"We fight to purge the land of vampires! Not for your amusement boy!" Isran shouted fiercely. "Tell me what you found at Dimhollow then be on your way."

Celann was binding Duraks shoulder to the best of his ability on the steps to the fort, shaking his head when he looked at Nightingale.

"I have the same goal, but I cannot afford to be slowed down by men who are incapable of defending themselves," Nightingale responded as he stepped towards an unmoving Isran. "I tested you, the same way you tested me when you sent me on that suicide mission."

The two men locked eyes and stood still as they engaged in a silent battle of will. The surrounding area radiated with hostility reaching Celann who made his way towards them.

"Put it away gentlemen," Celann said boldly. "We need to learn to work together if we stand a chance at rebuilding the Dawnguard."

"I don't trust him," Isran snarled.

"Tough. He did to us exactly what you did to him," Celann replied. "The only difference is he came to our aid, whereas you had no intention of doing the same should he have not returned.

Nightingale and Isran relaxed slightly upon hearing Celanns wise words. The tension began to fade and almost disappeared when Isran finally spoke.

"Well? What did you find?"

"A woman who was locked away," Nightingale replied.

"Who is she? Why would vampires be looking for a trapped woman? This doesn't mean anything to me," Isran rambled. "Wait, where is she?"

"She's the daughter of a powerful ancient Vampire Lord and she wanted to go home, so I took her to her family's castle," Nightingale replied.

"Why did you take her there? You should've brought the bitch here where we could have interrogated her," Isran fumed.

"She has an Elder Scroll and told me I would get answers as to why only if I helped her get home."

"She played you, boy! The whore seduced you and made you do exactly what she wanted! You should have secured the scroll and brought it back here."

Isran's words struck at Nightingale's core, causing him to be left without words. Had Serana truly played him? He recalled stowing his blade when they first met and how he relaxed at her touch in the castle.

"No… that's impossible. I'm too strong to have my mind twisted," Nightingale muttered.

"You just said that her father is a Vampire Lord, do you not know how strong they are, boy?" Isran asked. "One hasn't been seen in hundreds of years."

"He's been hiding, gathering forces inside his castle for who knows how long," Nightingale muttered aloud.

"How many bloodsuckers did you see?" Isran asked.

"Dozens upon dozens, they packed the great room of the castle and poured into the halls."

Durak and Celann were left aghast at this revelation, while Isran tried his best to hide his concern from his men.

"Yet you made it out…" Isran said lowly. "How is that?"

"Speed and deception, if I had made one false step I would be dead," Nightingale replied.

"Isran we need help," Celann said. "Time to swallow your pride and call on some old friends."

"I have no pride to swallow but you're right, we could use their help," Isran said. "Nightingale, I need you to find two former Dawnguard members while I clean up here and finish setting up the defenses. Can you do it?"

"Who and where are they?"

"First you'll need to find a Breton girl named Sorine Jurard, she's smart as a whip and has a fascination with ancient weapons built by the Dwemer. Last I heard she was convinced she was about to find the largest dwarven ruin out in the Reach," Isran said. "Secondly, we'll need a big brute Nord by the name of Gunmar, who hates blood-suckers almost as much as I do. He got it in his head that he could tame trolls and use them to help fight vampires. Sources say he was last seen in the woods outside of Falkreath."

"Think they'll be willing to help?" Nightingale asked.

"You'll need to convince them if they aren't. With the two of them we can start to come up with a plan on how to deal with these vampires," Isran said.

Nightingale gave Isran a slight nod before turning and walking towards the exit of the canyon.

"Durak head inside and tend to your wound. Celann, help me make an example of these demons," Isran said in the distance.

Nightingale left Dayspring Canyon and swiftly headed to find Sorine and Gunmar. Opting to find Sorine first, Nightingale headed for Rorikstead. A small village in Whiterun Hold that was close to the border of The Reach. As much as he dreaded going into towns, Rorikstead was Nightingale's best chance at finding Sorine, as she would need supplies if she truly was exploring dwarven ruins.

Gunmar may have been closer, but then Nightingale would have to spend more time with another human, so he decided to find him on his way back.

As Nightingale headed towards Rorikstead his thoughts shifted towards Serana. He thought of how elegantly she danced through the snow when they exited the cave, the way her hair billowed in the breeze. He even thought of her eyes, yes they were glowing red, but he still could get lost in them if he only let go.

Stop it you fool! Nightingale yelled inside his mind. She used you. She has warped your sense of reality to survive. She did to you what everyone does. Find a way to focus on what is real, you know what you have to do.

Nightingale walked towards a large tree and stopped just in front of it. He removed his gauntlets and allowed them to drop atop the tree roots below. Under the large tree, Nightingale raised his fists and threw a furious punch with his right hand at the trunk of the tree. The tree bark cracked from the impact and was lightly speckled with blood.

The way Serana made him feel still lingered in Nightingale's mind. He punched the tree again, this time with his left hand causing the feeling to slightly fade. Nightingale continued to punch the tree, alternating which hand he hit with. He could feel the bones in his hands break with every punch he threw, his skin fared no better. The tree bark kept cracking until it fell from the tree leaving exposed wood. Blood began to stain the wood and drip to the floor below with every blow Nightingale dealt.

Finally, the pain in his hands was so intense that all thoughts of Serana were met with only rage. The pain was a reminder of the rage he felt when someone tried to use him. The pain was how Nightingale kept himself grounded in reality.

Finally… peace. Nightingale thought to himself.

He sat at the base of the tree, leaning on the trunk to keep upright, and stared at the stars.

After a while, Nightingale used a healing spell to mend the broken bones and the cuts on his hands. He stopped the spell short of healing everything and left a dull pain as a reminder of his weakness. He picked up his gauntlets and didn't permit himself to emit a sound as he put them back on.

Nightingale stood up, took a deep breath, and headed for Rorickstead.

Upon reaching Rorikstead a couple of days later with the sun high in the sky, Nightingale made his way to the Frostfruit Inn. The inn was very similar to the one in Kynesgrove, only without the dragon skull above the door.

"Welcome, can I get you something to eat? Or drink perhaps?" the innkeeper asked nervously.

Nightingale's attire made many nervous when he first approached, which was just the way he intended. He walked to the bar and tossed a few septims on the counter, which immediately caught the innkeeper's attention.

"I need information," Nightingale said. "I'm looking for a Breton woman who is searching for dwarven ruins."

The innkeeper rubbed his balding scalp as he looked from the gold to Nightingale, and back to the gold.

"Sh-she's not in any trouble is she?" he asked.

"No, not at all. Quite the opposite. I have an investor who wants to fund her research," Nightingale lied.

The innkeeper slightly relaxed when he heard this.

"Oh, that's good news! She's been working quite hard, stopping here for supplies every couple of weeks," he said. "I don't recall her name but last I heard she was just south of the orc stronghold, Mor Khazgur."

"Thank you, my investor will be most pleased."

Nightingale turned and headed for the exit. As much as he relied on stealth and intimidation, having a silver tongue made finding people easier and cleaner.

As he was leaving Rorikstead, Nightingale passed a small farm where an old bald Nord man was tending to his crops.

"Damn, useless girls skipping out on their chores again today. That'll be lashings for the both of them," the man grumbled.

Nightingale froze when the words reached his ears. He looked around and saw two children hiding in the tool shed with tears in their eyes. Rage built inside Nightingale and he started to move towards the man when he noticed a pair of guards on the main road.

KRII LUN AUS!

Nightingale had perfected his use of the Marked for Death shout, turning it into a mere whisper that caused a quick, yet painful death for his victims. Perfect for killing someone undetected.

The man in the field began to claw at his throat as he was no longer able to breathe. His airway had collapsed in on itself causing him to suffocate.

Nightingale watched as the man collapsed into his vegetables as he twisted and panicked until he finally went limp. No one had noticed him fall in the field and Nightingale smirked as he left Rorikstead.

A little while later Nightingale found Sorine Jurard studying a small amount of dwarven artifacts. While she was deep in thought, he saw a mud crab latch onto her satchel.

Before the crab could take off with its prize Nightingale summoned his bow and shot the creature, startling Sorine.

Sorine spun around and drew her crossbow aiming at Nightingale's chest. She was a pretty woman with short brown hair that stopped just below her jaw, piercing eyes, and an athletic build.

"Who are you?" Sorine asked.

"Relax, my name is Nightingale and Isran sent me. Besides, I stopped that little bugger from taking your bag," Nightingale replied.

"I don't believe you. Isran made it extremely clear that he no longer wanted my help. He is not a man who changes his mind. He made an ass of himself and said extremely hurtful things before he kicked me out. Besides, my current studies are very important," Sorine said.

Nightingale approached Sorine raising his hands to show her he meant no harm, though she didn't lower her crossbow.

"Look I don't know what caused your falling out with Isran but he asked me to find you. Vampires threaten all of Skyrim," Nightingale said.

"Ha! To think that he didn't take me seriously when I proposed several possible scenarios of vampires wiping out mankind. What are they up to?"

"All I know is that they have an Elder Scroll."

"By the divines," Sorine muttered. "I have no idea what they could be planning. But it can't be good. Fine, where are we headed?"

"Fort Dawnguard," Nightingale said.

"Ah, so Isran is still finishing up rebuilding then? Alright hop in my carriage and we'll head that way."

Sorine placed her crossbow on the seat of the carriage and began to load up her gear before sitting in the driver's seat.

"I'll meet you there," Nightingale said. "I still have to find someone else before I head back."

"Who are you looking for?" Sorine asked.

"Gunmar."

"Ah yes, I know him well. Hop in, he's just north of Falkreath hunting bears last I heard."

"I travel alone," Nightingale said.

"Not gonna happen," Sorine said. "Gunmar sees you approach him and he'll attack first and ask questions later. No offense, that Dragon Priest mask throws most folks off."

Reluctantly Nightingale climbed in the back of the carriage, he figured he could beat Gunmar if it came to it. However if Sorine could make it easier and quicker, it would be worth it.

The pair traveled the roads toward Falkreath in silence. Nightingale ducked from sight whenever someone got near, feeling as if any one of them would figure out who he was. He hated traveling the roads like this, but there was no other choice with the carriage.

"What's your problem with strangers?" Sorine asked from the driver's seat. "Do you have a bounty?"

Nightingale remained quiet in the back of the carriage, refusing to answer Sorines question. He flexed his hands, causing the aches to radiate up his arms giving him something else other than his anxiety to think about.

"Curious…" Sorine muttered.

The carriage continued at a steady pace as they approached the main road into Falkreath. The city was quiet and eerie due to the mass graveyard that lay just outside the walls. The walls were made of tree trunks that were fastened together and stood roughly seven feet tall, just large enough to keep bandits at bay.

"Let me off," Nightingale said.

"Why?" Sorine asked. "I need someone to tend to my horse and we could use information on Gunmar's current location."

"I'll meet you just north of the city, there's a small stream that runs close by," Nightingale said.

Sorine slowed the carriage allowing Nightingale to hop out and disappear into the foliage. She resumed her pace and continued into Falkreath.

Nightingale walked through the forest until he reached the stream. The sun glistened against the thick tree leaves causing only a few rays of light to shine through. He sat on a stone next to the stream, listening to water flow as he waited, feeling his eyes grow heavy.

Nightingale quickly drifted off as he waited. He dreamt of Serana, although the thought of her now brought him extreme rage. He was still undeniably drawn to her but he knew that she had a hold on him. Nightingale flinched at the thought of her touching him again.

An hour passed and Sorine found Nightingale sitting by the stream, arms crossed and chin tucked to his chest. She attempted to approach silently and intended to wait for him to wake up, allowing the stranger to get some much-needed rest. As she walked towards him she stepped on a branch and the sharp snap of the breaking branch woke Nightingale.

Nightingale quickly stood up meeting Sorines concerned gaze.

"Gunmars not far, the people in town say that he's hunting a bear just north of here, we can leave by nightfall and find his camp then," Sorine said.

"No," Nightingale said flatly. "Let's get this over with."

Nightingale turned and headed north pushing his dreams aside as Sorine followed him. They walked until they heard a man shout.

"You two mind yourselves I've been tracking this damned bear… Sorine? Is that you?" the man asked.

"Hi Gunmar, it's been a while," Sorine said.

Isran wasn't kidding when he said Gunmar was a brute. He was just as tall as Nightingale and may have been even larger. He has a full long red beard and long hair with a braid on the side to match.

Gunmar and Sorine embraced in a quick hug, as old friends greeted each other.

"What are you doing here Sorine?" Gunamar asked when they let go. "And who is that?"

"He said his name is Nightingale, Isran sent him to find us. He needs our help with vampires," Sorine replied.

"Bah! The fool said that he could handle anything alone. He told me so himself, besides I've moved on. Isran can come and find me himself if he's so desperate," Gunamr said.

Isran must be a real asshole if he's managed to piss these two off this much. Nightingale thought to himself.

"The vampires have an Elder Scroll," Nightingale said from a distance.

"Wai-wait, an Elder Scroll? Are you sure?" Gunmar muttered. "By the eight… alright I'll come with you and see what Isran expects. But we need to kill this bear first."

Nightingale couldn't care about a wild bear, the threat it posed was so minute compared to that of the vampires. Seeing as Gunamr was adamant, he was left with no choice.

"Fine, I'll take care of it," Nightingale said. "You and Sorine go get her cart and I'll meet you outside the east gate."

"Nonsense, if you are working with Isran then I'd like to see how you handle yourself," Gunmar said. "Sorine, we'll meet you after."

Nightingale rolled his eyes and raised his hands in surrender.

"Don't take forever, I'll see you just outside Falkreath," Sorine said as she headed back to the city.

"The bear is this way," Gunmar said.

Nightingale followed Gunmar as they headed further into the woods following the bear's tracks. Soon they came up to an opening that led to the mouth of a cave and Gunmar stopped just shy of the clearing.

"How should we play this?" Gunmar asked.

"Head to the ledge just above the entrance and I'll lead the bear out," Nightingale began. "Once he's out, jump down and bury your axe in its head."

"Bold, I like it," Gunmar said with a smile. "Wait for my signal."

Gunmar kept to the trees keeping plenty of distance from the mouth of the cave as he approached the side. He quietly scaled to the top of the cave's entrance and drew his axe before giving Nightingale a thumbs up.

Nightingale drew his sword and emerged into the clearing heading straight for the cave. Once at the cave's entrance, he yelled, hearing the sound echo off the stone walls. Almost as soon as his yell died out a bear's roar came from the darkness.

Heavy footsteps came from inside and grew louder as each second passed. Nightingale waited patiently as the bear emerged from the depths of the cave and stopped about forty feet in front of him.

The bear was old, his milky white eyes locked with Nightingales. His face had a long scar across it from a previous fight, and his nose was missing a chunk from the side. The bear stood on its hind legs and was nearly ten feet tall. The beast let out a massive roar that bounced off the stone walls causing Nightingale's ears to ring.

Nightingale adjusted his stance, moving his right foot back as a brace, and was holding his sword with two hands, tip pointed at the bear.

Gunmar readied himself to fall atop the bear when he saw Nightingale make his stand.

The bear charged Nightingale and leaped at him. Nightingale felt the fur on the bear's arms brush past his shoulders and stared into the beast's open maw.

Gunmar jumped off the cave's entrance and swung his axe into the back of the beast's head with as much force as he could muster. He buried his axe causing the bear to let out a long painful roar.

The bear collapsed in a heap with blood seeping from its head wound. Gunmar removed his weapon and wiped the blade off.

"Ha ha, we did it!" Gunmar shouted. "Nightingale? Where are you?"

Gunamar searched but couldn't find Nightingale anywhere in sight. Last he had seen him, he was drawing the bear out. Gunmar saw Nightingale's cloak sticking out from underneath the bear with blood seeping out from around the same area.

"Oh no…" Gunmar muttered.

Frantically he rushed towards the bear and used every ounce of strength to roll the animal off his crushed compatriot.

Nightingale gasped for air as the bear's weight was moved off of his chest, freeing his lungs.

"You sneaky bastard, you had me there for a moment!" Gunmar laughed. "I don't know what killed the old bear, my axe, or your sword that you managed to lodge in its heart."

Nightingale sat up and saw that his blade was indeed still submerged in the bear's heart. He had intended to roll away as Gunmar attacked, but when he saw an opening, Nightingale took it. He walked over to the bear, removed his sword, and wiped the blood clean on its carcass before sheathing the blade.

"Let's go. Sorine should be waiting," Nightingale said.

"Not one to admire your work? Ah well, I'll toast to you tonight," Gunmar said with a laugh.

Nightingale led the way with Gunmar following close behind. He could feel his body ache from being crushed but did not heal himself as nothing was seriously injured.

The pair found Sorine waiting just outside of Falkreath just before dusk.

"I hope that it all went well?" Sorine asked.

"If you count our new friend here getting crushed beneath a giant bear as it going well, then it was excellent," Gunmar exclaimed.

"By the divines. Are you alright?" Sorine asked Nightingale.

She seemed to be genuinely concerned for Nightingale. This was not something that he had felt in a long time.

"I'm fine," Nightingale said as he stepped into the back of the cart. "Let's go."

"Doesn't talk much does he?" Gunmar asked Sorine under his breath.

"No, and he barely sleeps," Sorine replied.

"No wonder he's working for Isran."

Gunmar and Sorine sat in the front of the wagon with Sorine driving towards Fort Dawnguard. Nightingale rode in the back listening to the pair talk about their old stories of being with the Dawnguard and Isran. The more he heard, the more Nightingale realized that Isran was a megalomaniac and cared little for anyone who stood in his way.

They traveled through the night with Sorine allowing Gunmar to get some rest and they switched a couple of hours later. Sorine told Nightingale to get some sleep while he was in the back, but he ignored her silently.

Traveling by wagon was much faster than by foot and they reached Fort Dawnguard by sunrise. A new wooden wall had been erected creating an outer shell for the fort, with the only entrance being a gate in the middle of the road. More vampire heads were put on pikes in front of the gate. Nightingale recognized one of the heads from the gaping hole in its forehead, where Nightingale had fired a powerful arrow a few days prior.

"Same old Isran," Sorine muttered under her breath.

Durak stood atop the wooden wall and had the gate opened when he saw the group who rode in the wagon. Several new members were bustling around the exterior of the fort. Setting up camp, stocking weapon caches, and creating foxholes.

"He's been busy I see," Gunmar said.

As they approached the fort's steps they got out of the wagon and headed up towards the main door where Celann greeted them.

"Ah, my friends! It's been far too long!" Celann said as he embraced Sorine, then Gunmar.

"Yes, it has. Luckily for you, this one is quite convincing," Sorine said, gesturing towards Nightingale.

"I'm glad. He also has proven himself most capable," Celann said. "You know that he went alone and found out that the vampires had an Elder Scroll."

"No… He failed to mention that," Sorine said.

"Good, Isran hoped that he would play things close to the vest until he could get you here," Celann said. "Come on, he will fill you in once we get inside.

Celann opened the door allowing the three newcomers to head into the fort. Once inside Nightingale noticed all the rooms were barred off and they were now trapped in the circular opening.

"All right Isran, what is this?" Gunmar asked as he stepped to the middle.

Isran was standing on the second level looking down at them as they entered.

"Hold it right there," he said.

The ceiling opened and sunlight poured into the room, magnified by a device attached to the top of the dome. The light was so intense that everyone had to shield their eyes. After several seconds had passed the ceiling closed leaving the room dim again.

"What in Oblivion was that?" Sorine asked.

"Can't be too careful, had to make sure that none of you had been turned. I'm sure you have heard a little of what we're dealing with. Ancient and powerful vampires, who also have an Elder Scroll. I intend to make sure that we stand in their way," Isran said.

"Do you even know what they're planning, or what you want us to do?" Gunmar asked.

"I'll fill you in later, for now, welcome to Fort Dawnguard! Gunmar I have a large space set up for you to round up some trolls. Get them armored up to fight. Sorine, I have a workshop for you to start tinkering with some new crossbow designs," Isran said. "Now Nightingale… get up here so we can find out why this vampire bitch came looking for you."

Nightingales' heart sank as the metal barriers lifted, for some reason he knew it had to be Serana. Sorine and Gunmar side-eyed him as they went to explore the fort leaving him alone. He headed up a round staircase until he saw Isran who gestured for him to follow. Nightingale followed until he entered what appeared to be a torture room. It was equipped with a rack fit with restraints, a cage, and several tools designed to inflict pain.

Serana stood in the corner of the room and gave Nightingale a slight smile as he entered the room.

"Suprised to see me again?" she asked still smiling.

Her smile quickly faded as Nightingale dashed across the room before anyone could react. He drew his sword and put the edge of the blade to Seranas throat, pinning her to the wall, eyes filled with hate.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't take your head off right now," Nightingale demanded.

"How about that I tried to get my father to spare your life when we were back at the castle?" Serana asked.

"Lies! You led me there to die. Tricked me into helping you," Nightingale growled. "You used your magic to manipulate me even trying to get me to stay as a slave."

Serana could feel the cold blade pressed against her neck, she grabbed the blade with her free hand. She was ready to fight back if she needed to.

"Well, considering that the two times we have met you put your sword to my throat what did you expect?" Serana asked. "I want to live, but I risked everything to come here."

"Boy!" Isran shouted. "As much as I would like to allow you to remove this bitches head, she brought the Elder Scroll with her. We need information."

Isran walked forward and put his hand on Nightingale's arm. "Stow your weapon for now, we'll deal with her later," he whispered.

Serana heard every word Isran tried to conceal but was relieved when Nightingale sheathed his sword and stepped back.

"Well? Out with it," Nightingale said.

"Look I don't want to be here either, but I have no choice, I needed to speak with you. It's about me and the Elder Scroll. So please listen and don't try to kill me before I can explain," Serana pleaded.

Heading Israns advice Nightingale decided to play along for the time being.

"Fine, what about you?" He asked.

"It's the reason I was locked away… with the Elder Scroll," Serana began. "It all ties back to my father. As you've seen, he's not a good person though he wasn't always like this. He changed after he stumbled across some damn prophecy."

"Prophecy? What's it about?" Nightingale asked.

"Like all prophecies, it was pointless and vague. There was a part about vampires not being afraid of the sun, that's what he latched onto. He wants vampiric domination over the world and if he could control the sun, no one could stop him."

"Why in oblivion did you think coming here and telling me this was a good idea? Why shouldn't I kill you now and hunt your father like the monster he is?"

"The fact that you were able to resist my father and… me… shows me how strong you are. If there is someone who can help me it's you," Serana said stuttering as she admitted to influencing Nightingale.

Nightingale was stunned at the revelation of this prophecy. He considered that Serana could be lying, but she risked her life to come here and meet with him. While in deep thought, Isran interrupted.

"Now, is there a reason we shouldn't kill this blood-sucker now?" he growled.

"Wait, if there is a possibility that this prophecy is true, then we need to investigate," Nightingale said.

Serana sighed with relief upon hearing Nightingale agree with her.

"And she could still have valuable insight," Isran grumbled. "Fine if even one person has a fang mark I'll take it out on both of you."

"I'll remember that next time I need a snack," Serana giggled.

"Shut up. Don't even joke," Nightingale said.

Serana kept giving Isran a sly smile, purposefully toying with the man. He glared back at her and left the room muttering about how bad this would end.

"Look, all joke aside we still need someone to read the Elder Scroll I have with me," Serana said, gesturing towards the scroll.

Nightingale thought about when he read the Elder Scroll on the Throat of the World to learn Dragonrend. He decided not to tell Serana about that, the less she knew the better.

"Have someone in mind?" he asked.

"Moth Priests spend years preparing to read the scrolls and are the only ones who can do it from what I know," Serana said. "They're located in Cyrodiil which would take forever to get to. What we need is to find one in Skyrim."

"I have some contacts who might be able to help," Nightingale said.

"Great! Then I'll come with you, it'll be nice to explore."

"How do I know that I can trust you and that you won't kill me?"

Serana winked and said, "Please, I know that you'll keep a good eye on me."

Nightingale forced back his embarrassment, trying to hide it from Serana. She was very observant.

"Before I agree, do you know anything about Elder Scrolls?" Nightingale asked.

"Not really," Serana started as she held eye contact. "Turns out sleeping with something doesn't make you get to know them."

She was intentionally trying to pry a reaction out of Nightingale by licking her lips and furrowing her brow. He did not give her the satisfaction by answering.

"Even though you are quite… mysterious, we probably shouldn't test that theory," Serana said as she continued to stare into his ice-blue eyes.

Nightingale couldn't stop his mind from wandering no matter how hard he tried. He could feel his heart rate quicken and how his face grew hot. He flexed his still-damaged hands, sending pain up his arms to ground himself.

Serana smiled, knowing that she had finally put a chink in his tough exterior. She stuck out her hand and said, "Look I'll watch you back if you watch mine. Deal?"

"Deal," Nightingale said.

The two shook hands in agreement. Seranas cold hand sent an unnatural chill up Nightingale's arm, while his warmth was an oddly relaxing feeling for Serana.