Chapter LXXXIV – Worst Place, Worst Time

The cold always seemed overwhelming by the shore.

It's been a strange couple of days to say the least. The tension was still there whenever Serana and Isran were around each other, though they didn't acknowledge it in any way. There was nothing technically wrong. They talked to each other. They talked to Bishop and Aeyrin, mostly about their mission. Serana sometimes spoke about the Castle more and Isran answered any questions anyone had about Dawnguard. He looked so fond of his people. He even shared some fun stories of drunken escapades whenever they welcomed a new member into their fold.

But there was still some strange feeling in the air. And they had no idea why.

Serana kept disappearing from time to time and when she was finally asked about it by Aeyrin, she just told her it's nothing to be concerned about. Isran didn't seem concerned by it in the slightest. He was not disappearing alongside her as they suspected before. He did seem to be at ease with her doing that though. He didn't even give her a suspicious look once. Maybe he knew where she was going.

Eventually, they neared Dragon Bridge and Serana and Isran decided to make a camp for lunch while Bishop and Aeyrin went to the town to speak to Maro. But it didn't go as well as they planned.

They didn't tell Maro the real reason why they needed the rings. They discussed the Brotherhood for a little while, Cicero's death and his escape from Maro – apparently he just disappeared one day. And the Night Mother had already been stolen by then by what he called an 'unexpected player in this game'. It seemed the Brotherhood was a few steps ahead of the spies. Maro didn't even seem placated in his worries by Cicero's death.

In the end, since they didn't have any reasons for the rings to give him that related to their protection from the Brotherhood, what with the prolonged inactivity from them during their quite public wedding and honeymoon, Maro only agreed to give them two rings if they paid for them. Apparently they weren't exactly doing well with stretching their resources now that so many reinforcements were in Skyrim to watch the cities for Brotherhood activities. And since those activities were apparently very numerous. More and more as time passed. That was disturbing. But maybe that was the reason why Bishop had been left alone for all that time. They were busy. He was clearly not being actively hunted by them – Maro confirmed that it was unlikely. But it was still likely that if some member of the Brotherhood spotted Bishop coincidentally, he would be attacked again.

But Bishop and Aeyrin had other concerns right then. Namely the fact that they could not afford the rings. They made some excuses to Maro about going to sell some of their loot and they returned to the camp Serana and Isran made in the meantime. Fortunately, they didn't have to sell anything. Isran was fine paying for the rings, but he insisted on him and Serana wearing them. That was… another unpleasant development for Bishop and Aeyrin. Aeyrin was especially nervous about not having Bishop wear it. She still couldn't help the thoughts. He would be alone with a vampire that could charm him to do anything. But she was too self-conscious to say anything. She just had to keep reminding herself that Serana had no reason to betray Bishop.

It didn't fill her with more confidence how the two of them were going to remain inconspicuous with that whole 'charming ruse' either. And Serana was still trying to convince Bishop to make it even more dangerous for him and charm him for real.

Eventually they descended to the shore of the Sea of Ghosts through an icy cavern, clearing out a few wolves there. It would be the cave where the Dawnguard unit of ten men, their backup, would be camping. And a few minutes away from that, right by the shore, hidden behind some trees, they finally made camp for Isran and Aeyrin.

And of course, once they all settled in the camp, getting a moment's respite before the mission would truly begin and waiting for the rest of the men to arrive into the nearby cavern, Serana started again.

"Are you sure it wouldn't be better to just get charmed?" She sighed, giving Bishop an uncertain look. "It is not something that's easy to feign." They'd been practicing for a while now and Aeyrin and Isran thought Bishop was convincing, but Serana still had her doubts.

"I'm sure. You're not charming me," Bishop growled. He refused this tactic several times already. He understood why she wanted to – it was a precaution. But that was just not happening.

Serana let out a disappointed sigh. Why did she keep asking this? He would not change his mind. Ever.

"I need to at least make you look the part then," Serana broached the subject again after a moment.

"What? What does that mean?" Bishop scowled. What did their 'cattle' look like? They were just charmed people, right? What would she need him to look like? "You don't want to disarm me, do you?" His frown promptly deepened when he thought of that. Maybe vampires disarmed their victims first to make them harmless.

"No. Why would we disarm those ready to defend us to the death?" Serana shook her head. "But the cattle generally serve… other purposes." She inclined her head meaningfully to Bishop's neck.

Oh. Fuck.

"You want to bite him?" Aeyrin's eyes widened at her. She wasn't serious, was she?

"Well, yes. He will look convincing that way. It is not unusual to bring someone new to the Castle to feed on," Serana shrugged. " I will not drain him. Just bite enough to make it look like he'd been fed on before."

"It makes sense," Isran nodded thoughtfully. "A good convincing element."

Bishop didn't really have a reason to say no. They had a point. It was going to make shit more convincing. It was a good idea. Still, it made him uncomfortable again. He was usually having fun with disguising himself, being subtle, and all that stuff that went along with infiltrations like these. Somehow this felt different. It was likely still the fact that there would always be a speckle of mistrust when it came to Serana and her vampiric abilities.

"Is that really necessary?" Aeyrin sighed. She didn't like this. Serana would surely not drain too much, but blood loss could weaken Bishop considerably if something went wrong. Or if Serana was planning something. Gods, she hated that she still thought of this occasionally.

"It's a good idea," Serana looked at Aeyrin uncertainly and Bishop interjected with a defeated sigh.

"It is. Just get it over with."

He really got why it was a good idea. And it was just one bite, right?

Serana moved close to him, though she did seem a little reluctant to approach the fire more, and he craned his neck a bit to make it easier. He soon felt her unexpectedly cold breath on his neck, then a contact of her skin and a little bit of a piercing pain.

Aeyrin couldn't help a strange pang of jealousy that went through her at the sight. She couldn't help it. Thoughts invaded her mind again. About how if Serana wanted, she could just charm Bishop whenever she wanted and she could do whatever she wanted with him. And he would have no memory of it. Was that making it worse or better? She wasn't even sure.

Serana's red lips pressed into Bishop's neck and he visibly cringed at what was undoubtedly the odd sensation of being drunk from that Aeyrin was unpleasantly familiar with. Fortunately Serana stopped very soon and withdrew from him. There were small droplets of blood forming on the two puncture marks on his skin and Serana briefly flicked her tongue over them, making Bishop flinch in palpable surprise. It was understandable that a vampire would likely get every drop though. And after that, there were only the marks of her teeth and a few smudges of her bright red lipstick left on his neck.

"That's enough, right?" Aeyrin couldn't help but ask. If Bishop was supposed to be some dazed victim, he might have more of those bites on him. But she really hoped that was enough.

"Yes, it's fine," Serana nodded. "Don't wipe off anything," she instructed Bishop when he started to slowly reach with his gloved hand to the spot she just bit.

"So, the moment we get the message from my men, everything is ready?" Isran assured himself. They were now only waiting for his runner to come tell them that the Dawnguard unit was camped in the nearby cave.

"I think we're ready," Serana nodded in determination. "I don't know where my mother could be, but I'm ready to find out."

"I'm good," Bishop shrugged. He was itching to go already. For multiple reasons.

Aeyrin only gave them an absentminded nod. They all seemed rearing to go. She was apparently the only one still filled with hesitation and uncertainty. But she had to fight through it.

This was important.

And hopefully it would not take long and she would have Bishop safely back again.

…

It was actually a little chilly.

Bishop was grateful to be rowing the small skiff – to be a proper slave for Serana and do all the work. Sure, it was still basically summer and Skyrim was pleasantly warm for most people, especially for Nords, but the sloshing of the freezing water around and the harsh cold wind could not be denied even during this season. It wasn't cold, just a little bit nippy. And unpleasant as his armor was getting wet. He was looking forward to them finally getting there.

He was surprised when Serana showed him the small skiff they would be using, right after Isran's runner made it to their tiny hidden camp and Serana and him said their goodbyes to Isran and Aeyrin. There was clearly a system in place for the vampires to use, but it was quite subtle. Only when Serana actually showed him, he would be able to see it.

There was a very long length of wet rope, tied to a leg of the small pier by the jetty. Apparently, the skiff that was there had a metal loop on its bottom which the rope led through, with knots on either side. The other end was tied at the pier by the Castle. This way, there could only be one skiff and whoever needed it could just pull on the ropes until they got the boat to them. That was a relief in case Isran and Aeyrin needed to come to their rescue.

Bishop hadn't even thought of this issue, but Serana assured him that Isran knew of the system. Once again, he felt like he was completely out of his depth and just along for the ride, but what could be done about that? He just followed Serana into the skiff and grabbed the oars.

He'd been rowing for a while and he still couldn't see that famed giant Castle. There were just mountains and icebergs in sight. Serana warned him that the Castle was hidden, but this was frustrating. And every time he turned his head around to look in the general direction they were going, she reprimanded him. Fair. He was just supposed to stare dead ahead, all empty-eyed and shit. But he wanted to see that Castle.

After some more time though, he glimpsed at it before she hissed at him again. They were past some rocky outcroppings barring the view and by the ominous mountainous bay. There really was an actual castle there. A huge castle, for that matter. It looked Imperial in style – it had spires, round towers, pointed roofs and all that. It reminded him of places like Castle Skingrad.

Except it looked much more scary for some reason. The mountainous bay held in thick mist, gathering around the tall walls and the chilly wind sent howling sounds through the air. It was the middle of the day – the best time to sneak by vampires, of course, though apparently not fool-proof – but Bishop found it plenty menacing already. He didn't even want to imagine it at night. It almost felt cliché – vampires in an ominous manor. But maybe it was more traditional than cliché. They were an ancient clan after all.

"Don't look there now," Serana said quietly. Her calm disposition didn't betray a thing, though Bishop felt a chill across his spine as she said it. And for a good reason. "We have a problem. Stay still and keep rowing."

Bishop stayed silent, just in case. He wasn't going to risk anything going wrong. But he did give Serana an urging look. He needed more from her, for fuck's sake.

She looked past Bishop for a moment and a small smile decorated her lips. She raised her hand next in a brief silent greeting.

Fuck. Someone was there. Bishop couldn't see where and he couldn't see the details of the Castle they'd been approaching. He had to fight so hard not to turn around.

"Row onwards. Don't stop. Change of plans," Serana whispered. "Trust me. I will make sure you are not harmed. But now… remember what we practiced."

Fuck. Shit. He really wanted to avoid this. He really didn't want to have to make use of his practiced obedience. He really hoped they would just sneak through abandoned areas filled with monsters. And what did she mean 'row onwards'? Were they not going to the same place they were supposed to? What did that mean?

Calm down.

'Trust her'. He should. He really couldn't ruin everything just for a moment of uncertainty and fear. He couldn't jeopardize the mission right away. And he was armed and ready and wary. It would be fine.

"Yes, mistress," he delivered the line in practiced monotone. He knew it was probably not necessary at this point, but he also partly did that so that she would know he was on board.

Serana gave him a small reassuring smile as he rowed onwards. He did not move in any other way. He did not look back and he did not try to take a peek. He could feel himself being watched already.

As he rowed further and further, some parts of the Castle they passed came into view. He wasn't sure where they were supposed to stop, but they were likely not stopping there anyway. The tension was almost unbearable. Then, finally, there was a voice.

"Lady Serana. I see you brought a souvenir. Any luck?" A raspy voice prodded a bit loudly so that the sound could carry through the crashing of waves and howling of the wind. It didn't sound that far away though.

"Garan," Serana nodded at someone past Bishop again. "I used this one to try and get the information. Decided to keep it for a while longer."

Did she just call Bishop 'it'?

The boat bumped into something and Serana gave Bishop a look. He panicked for a second, but he held himself steady as she spoke commandingly. He knew she would do this.

"Stop and get out of the skiff."

"Yes, mistress," Bishop promptly answered and stopped rowing, placing the oars back into the boat. Fuck. Was he supposed to do that or just drop them into the water? Was he capable of doing any contextual thinking at all when he was 'charmed'?

Nobody commented on his handling of the oars so he calmed down a bit and stood up in the boat. When he was instructed to get out, he could finally look around. They were near a landing by the side of the Castle. He could see the pier where the rope was undoubtedly tied only a short distance away and nearby, there was a large bridge with statues of strange monsters on it, leading to a heavy set of doors.

It was clearly the main entrance. He knew they were not where they were supposed to be.

The bigger concern, however, was probably the man standing on the landing. A vampire, predictably. A Dunmer one in clothes very similar to Serana's – all in dark shades and light in making, only reinforced on the chest piece, somewhat like Serana's corset. His eyes were glowing, just like Serana's, but otherwise he didn't look particularly menacing. He only gave Bishop's blank expression a very brief look before he concentrated on Serana again.

"So… did you get something?" The guy she called 'Garan' asked.

"Unfortunately, no," Serana sighed as she got off the boat and onto the landing as well. "He's just insane and rambling. This one looked shady and dangerous," she pointed to Bishop. "I had it ask for ransom, but apparently the man is lying."

'Ransom'? What was she talking about? She had a cover story for him? Why didn't she say so? Knowing shit like this would make him less nervous right about fucking now!

"Hmph, figures," Garan rolled his eyes in annoyance. "I don't know why Rargal thought it was a good idea. Or why you even agreed. Let the mortals keep their money."

"It was worth a try," Serana shrugged. "He needs to feed the cattle, you know? He does need more of the mortals' money. And there was no harm in checking whether that madman was really worth something to someone."

"'No harm', sure," Garan scoffed. "You didn't need to watch him all these days, listening to his insane ramblings about how important he is. I knew he was a nobody skooma wretch like all the rest of them."

Oh. Wow. Was Serana using Faldaen as an excuse for her leaving? And now for having Bishop with her? Huh. That wasn't bad. Pretty clever.

Wait… was she calling Bishop 'it' while calling Faldaen 'he'? What the fuck?

"Now we all know. What are a few days of your eternal life, Garan?" Serana noted noncommittally. "If you wish to take it out on him, feel free to kill him. There will be nothing to gain from him."

"'Kill him'?" Garan scoffed. "After all that yapping? Why do you think I'm out here? I just wanted a moment of quiet. I can't even sleep without that screeching voice waking me in the middle of the day, no matter how far from him I rest. The waves are the only thing drowning him out. He will suffer for that much longer than with a quick death."

Fuck. Good thing Aeyrin didn't hear this. She didn't need to know that and feel bad. Bishop for one, did not care about the fate of that wretch one bit. He just continued to stand there, staring blankly and moving as little as possible.

"Enjoy yourself then," Serana shrugged. She didn't seem interested in how Faldaen was going to die either.

"You too, lady Serana," Garan smirked at her before he looked briefly at Bishop again, then back at her. "Come. Suddenly I'm eager to get back to see my charge."

"Follow me," Serana looked at Bishop intently again. In the meantime, Garan began to walk towards the nearby bridge and while Bishop mumbled his 'yes, mistress', Serana followed already without a second thought.

Where were they going? That was a stupid question that played in Bishop's head, but he really wished there was even a small chance of the answer being something besides the obvious. He could see where they were going. He knew where they were going. They were both going inside the Castle through the main door. Not a side entrance like he and Serana were supposed to go through, avoiding all the vampires.

It was the middle of the day, right? They would be asleep, wouldn't they?

Fuck, if this was some kind of an elaborate trap, Bishop was gonna be so fucking pissed.

But for now, he still was too apprehensive to ruin their contingency plans. So he just… followed. He couldn't let his nervousness show at all. Not now at least. Serana still didn't actually do anything to make him think she was tricking him – he knew she was under pressure to act normally. What was she supposed to tell the guy? That she was just gonna go to the restricted entrance instead?

Fuck, this was frustrating.

And for now, he had no other option but to follow her orders.

That fucking vampire was just at the worst place at the worst time.

…

Aeyrin couldn't help it. She had to stare at Isran's hand intently again. It was at an awkward angle and she couldn't see the light of the soul gem ring that she needed to see.

The small skiff they saw floating across the waves disappeared quite a while ago. That was it. They were there. Hopefully by now they were disposing of guardians and making progress through the restricted wings.

She hated the fact that Isran and Serana had those rings. She hated that Bishop didn't have one. And she hated that she was still worried about him in Serana's company.

"It's still fine," Isran smiled at her reassuringly when he noticed the direction of her gaze. "I'm paying attention. I promise."

"I know, I'm sorry. I can't help it," she gave him a wry smile. She knew he was being careful too. She just couldn't stop herself.

"I understand," he nodded. "It must be nerve-wracking to send him into the unknown like this. When I was starting to recruit, I started with my dearest friends, of course. Some from the Vigil, some from other places… all of them were people I cared about even before we were in this endeavor together. I had to send them to smaller vampire lairs to train them, sometimes alone so that they would not rely on my help so much once they progressed with their training. We didn't have Serana around for demonstrations. They only went in knowing what I told them. It was the most difficult part of this all. Even more than accepting the fact that we failed to protect our Scroll from Harkon."

He spoke so much more warmly now. Or maybe that was the case whenever he talked about his men. He seemed to care about the Dawnguard a great deal. Of course he did, since instead of rushing the mission, he tried to take his time to prepare them for whatever the vampires might throw at them, even if there was only a tiny chance they would see any combat at all today.

"What happened? With the Scroll?" Aeyrin pried. Maybe the story would take her mind off worrying. She didn't know the details – she only knew that Isran had been rebuilding the Dawnguard for years, then Harkon got his hands on the Scroll and woke up Serana from her entombment.

"I don't know if I should blame myself or not," Isran sighed a bit and he began to poke into their fire with a stick. He looked different like this – out of his armor, naturally not to draw attention to who he was, and somewhat 'disarmed' entirely as he stared into the flames. "I often think about it – whether it would have happened were it not for me rebuilding the Dawnguard. Harkon has been looking for our Scroll for centuries. It's possible he would have found the information anyway at any point. But one of my men found herself at the wrong place at the worst time she could. And she was captured. I don't know how they got all the information out of her. I never saw her again. But the vampires soon sent a small group to steal the Scroll. They were ready for the traps and defenses there. Both sides suffered losses. But in the end, they got what they came for and to spare the rest of my men, I ordered them not to follow."

"That's awful," Aeyrin gave him a sympathetic nod. "But you did your best to protect the Scroll. Without you, he would have found it eventually anyway. And at least now, there are people who know he did and who are there to stop him."

"True. You have a point. If this all transpired in the shadows, nobody would be the wiser before disaster would strike. And I shudder to think what would happen to Serana had she no allies and help in this," he retorted thoughtfully.

He was right. Would Serana just end up going along with her father's plan with no help in sight? That seemed unlikely. If there was anything she seemed passionate about, it was stopping her father. Maybe she would just end up doing something too risky and getting herself killed or entombed again. Maybe forever this time.

"And I am glad to have gathered my men. I am proud of what we do," he nodded with determination. His face always lit up a little when he spoke of them.

Truth be told, Aeyrin felt like he was so much warmer now as they sat by the campfire together. The strange coldness and tension were all gone and she wondered why. Was it Serana? Why? Even now when he spoke of her, he seemed to be worried about her. He seemed to care about her.

"Maybe it worked out for the best then. You have your men, you have Serana. If Harkon knew, it would surely give him pause," Aeyrin smiled a little. Of course it was a good thing Harkon didn't know, but from what she saw of Serana and Isran planning this mission, he had some determined and formidable enemies.

Isran smiled as well, but then he appeared thoughtful again. He studied Aeyrin's face for a while, his dark brows creasing as if he was trying to find something on her visage. That made things a little more uncomfortable again and she squirmed under his scrutiny.

"You don't trust her," he noted after a while, and when she cocked her head in confusion at him, he clarified. "Serana. You don't trust her."

"Why do you think so?" Aeyrin frowned. She was here, wasn't she? She was going along with this plan for no reason but to help her. She trusted her with Bishop of all people. How would that translate to 'not trusting her'.

"I saw how you looked when she was training Bishop. And when she bit him," Isran answered, but surprisingly enough, there was a lot of understanding in his tone.

"It's… it's just hard," she sighed. True, she had doubts. Despite logic and how much trust Serana's actions up until now earned her. "Bishop has been charmed twice before. Once by her when we met and she tried to steal Dexion. I know she has no reason other than sincerity to be doing the things she does, but…"

"Yes. It's at the back of your mind. I understand," Isran gave her a small smile.

"Must be on the back of yours too," she pointed out. That was the reason for the tension, right? Serana was a vampire, there was no way around it. She had abilities that would give anyone pause. Especially a vampire hunter.

"It used to. Not anymore," he shook his head. He seemed quite convincing now, but that was not what she saw before.

"But you are so guarded and cold to her," Aeyrin scowled, spelling it out outright. She wondered why he was like this if he trusted her so fully, as he claimed.

Isran stayed silent for a moment, contemplative. He kept staring into the fire, occasionally poking it with that stick. He really looked so different right now. Aeyrin could barely remember the stoicism and distance she always felt from him before.

"'Cold'? Do you think I'm cold?" He looked at her uncertainly. He seemed concerned about that perception.

"You're really different now," Aeyrin pointed out. He didn't see it? He didn't notice how differently he was acting now as opposed to how he acted around her?

"But I trust her. Fully," he reiterated. "She knows that."

"You could have fooled me," Aeyrin gave him a small smile. "And does she? You think she might still be working for Harkon. Or at least that's what you led her to believe. She thinks you want the Scroll in your hands so that she doesn't return it. Even though she thinks it's a good idea to give it to Harkon for now. To gain his trust."

"It's Harkon I do not trust. I understand her plan," Isran gave Aeyrin a somewhat incredulous look, but then he seemed to contemplate on it a bit more. "There are… pressures. I may have been more curt than is required. It's just… a little concerning how easily that trust came. That's all."

"So you're worried that you trust her so much?" Aeyrin asked. That may have explained the coldness. Much like him, she felt the sincerity Serana spoke with. She knew the logic, she knew exactly what he meant. Serana had no reason to risk herself like she was, and yet she was doing this. And whenever she spoke of stopping her father, Aeyrin doubted there would be anyone who wouldn't believe her. But…

"I grew up hearing stories. From my father, from the Vigil and the church of Stendarr, all about the viciousness and cunning of the vampires. I know they are different, each one is different. But… I would not put it past any mortal either to be insincere and try to trick me. It's concerning that Serana somehow managed to dispel those usual worries and caution." Despite what he was saying, another smile formed on his face. This time probably an involuntary one.

"It's not a bad thing to have someone you trust so much," Aeyrin smiled too. She trusted Bishop this much. It was the most comforting feeling out there.

"If only everyone could see it that way," he sighed. "Me included."

"I get it," she nodded. "I still can't get over what I thought I knew about vampires and werewolves all my life."

Isran looked at the amulet of Stendarr on her neck and nodded in understanding. He did offer her a reassuring smile after though.

"Serana will protect Bishop from her clansmen if need be, I am sure of it."

She really wanted to believe that. Logically, she did believe it. But the feelings didn't just go away.

"And look," he raised his hand to show her the glowing ring. "Still fine. I'm sure everything's going according to the plan."

Yes. It was all fine. The plan was great and surely everything went smoothly in the Castle.

Aeyrin watched Isran take out his spyglass, which he'd been using occasionally. It was ridiculous to her at first when the skiff disappeared from view. Sure, he looked at the boat, but after that, there was nothing to see. The Castle was not visible from here. But by now she knew he was watching for any other boats coming from there. And he was also watching their surroundings.

They would probably be here for a while and they had to be on guard.

And she hoped that the spyglass of his would spot Bishop and Serana returning sooner than she feared.

…

This was bad. It was fucking bad.

Bishop could feel how tense he was. He needed to relax. He couldn't be looking nervous or freaked out by any of the sights here. But it was so fucking difficult. His only saving grace so far was the fact that barely anyone apparently paid any attention to the 'cattle'. And also that it was the middle of the day. The Castle was not as populated as he feared, at least not in the open.

But it was still so fucked up.

The smell was what hit him first. The unmistakable stench of death, blood and gore. They only entered into a small entry hall with more of those monster statues there, but he couldn't even look around curiously. What he could was feel that smell though. It was overwhelming and he had to hold himself not to react.

Did the vampires not mind? Did they not have a sense of smell? Or maybe they were just used to it.

Bishop only saw the scene once he followed Serana and Garan down a set of stairs and into a strangely unkempt but lavish hall. Everything was old and clearly poorly maintained in this place, but there were signs of riches everywhere – huge chandeliers, long tables, silverware everywhere. It would have been impressive were it not for the other sights.

There were three vampires in there. One of them was sitting by the table with a guy on his lap, sucking on his neck. The victim was pale, with his eyes closed and clearly barely conscious, only dressed in some rags while the vampire sucked him dry. It didn't look like there was much left in him.

And then there was another vampire, fighting over a large bone with two very creepy black hounds. They looked weird. Was there fucking smoke coming out of them or did Bishop start to see things? Their noses seemed to be missing though and their eyes were glowing bright red. And their teeth looked like someone built a fence out of sharp spikes. Poorly at that.

The third vampire was feeding too, but that one was feeding on a person who was undoubtedly already dead. The naked body of the girl was splayed on one of the tables, completely white and devoid of any life or color. There were bite marks and black bruises everywhere on her skin, but no traces of blood at all. They drained her dry.

Fuck. What would he have to do here to keep his cover? This was so fucking disturbing. Vampires were fucking disturbing, no matter which way he looked at it.

He tried his best. He kept following Serana like a lost pup, mindlessly staring ahead and only trying to look at her. Not only was it safer not to look too curious or freaked out, but watching only her kind of calmed him down and distracted him from the sights around. He really didn't want to see more. He didn't want to see more of their 'cattle', he didn't want to see Faldaen and how this vamp killed him, no matter how little Bishop cared about that wretch, and he didn't want to see any more of this place than necessary.

It felt kind of like he was back there in Lost Knife. As if he was ushered by Thorn through the caves filled with sights and sounds that turned his stomach and he had no choice but to follow silently and do as he was told.

Maybe that was an unfair comparison to Serana. He didn't feel that wary around her, but it was this place that made him think of it.

"Enjoy yourself, Garan," Serana broke the disturbing silence which was up until now only interrupted by sickening sounds of the vampires suckling on their victims and the growling of those creepy dogs. "I will take this one to my chambers."

Thank the fucking Gods!

"Enjoy yourself as well, Lady Serana," Garan smirked at her before he turned on his heel and headed over to some side room.

Good. He left them alone. That was a relief. But Bishop still had to keep up the façade.

"Come," Serana urged him and she walked towards one of the side rooms herself. Bishop delivered another monotonous 'yes, mistress' before he followed her.

They walked there, Bishop again keeping behind her, but much to his dismay, there was another one of them in that side room. This time an Altmer. For once, he was not doing anything weird, just tinkering with some vials near an alchemy table. That was a relief. But Bishop didn't allow himself to look too much. He still needed to keep up his blank stare.

Maybe it would have been easier if Serana really charmed him. But he just couldn't let himself be stripped of control like this.

"Welcome back, Serana. New cattle?" He looked at Bishop critically, swirling the potion in his hand.

Fuck, this was so nerve-wracking. Bishop was sure he was doing something wrong. But nobody said anything so far. Every time someone looked at him though, it seemed so much harder to stay in character. He usually enjoyed going undercover, but this was somehow just… bad. Maybe it was because he couldn't just be a person. He had to be… empty. That was a challenge.

"I decided to keep it for a while. It proved useful so far," Serana nodded almost disinterestedly. Was she talking about feeding or sex? Were they doing both with the cattle? Was she? Somehow he never thought of that. It was… disturbing. He had questions for her. He knew it was probably just normal for her, but it was still disturbing.

Then again, these people were here to be drained dry in the end. What did any of it matter? They were as good as gone the moment they were robbed of their consciousness.

"Where are you taking it? I know it's been a while since you brought one here, but Rargal will take the equipment from it," the Altmer vampire pointed to the main hall again. Apparently they were supposed to go elsewhere.

To take Bishop's equipment? What the fuck? No!

"Vingalmo, it's been a long day. I will get it to Rargal later," Serana let out an exasperated sigh.

"But if the charm wears off and…" the Altmer scowled at her, as if he was a teacher scolding a child. Come to think of it, he was the only one who called her 'Serana' and not 'Lady Serana' so far. Fuck, this was bad. But Serana didn't seem thrown. She interrupted him promptly as she raised her hand to stop him.

"Vingalmo," her tone was oddly warning.

"Apologies," the Altmer sighed. "Your superior magic is of course too powerful to falter like that. Carry on."

Serana didn't say anything more and she turned on her heel promptly, heading towards another set of stairs. Bishop tried not to look at the vampire at all as he followed. What was that? Serana was their princess, right? So she probably shouldn't be questioned like that. This was just fucking weird though. He had no idea what to expect from the vampires, how they could treat Serana and him altogether. What if someone still insisted she bring him to this Rargal, whoever the fuck that was? What then?

They met no one else, much to Bishop's relief, as they walked through the hallways. It was all the same, old, oddly lavish, but falling apart. It was clear that the vampires once cared for their appearances and the glory of their royal clan, but not anymore. Maybe Serana's mother used to care. Or… were there some previous owners of this place? Did this clan build it? When? They'd been around for a thousand years. That was still insane to think about.

Serana led him through some ominous hallways, all filled with those weird statues. They were weird monsters with wings and faces kind of like imps maybe? But much bigger.

Wait… stone monsters that came to life when imbued with magic. Were these the gargoyles they talked about? Fuck, they looked bigger than Bishop imagined. And there were a lot of them.

That just reassured him that he couldn't do anything stupid. He would stand no fucking chance here. Not against anyone. And he was so grateful for Isran's plans and contingencies. He knew that if shit went wrong, Aeyrin alone would have stormed the place. That would have ended poorly.

Serana led him up another extensive set of steps until they entered a room. A large room. There she finally stopped and Bishop relaxed a bit.

They were alone. It was a big lavish room with a canopy bed prominently by the center of the back wall and a stone bathing tub in the corner. Clearly someone important had a room here – probably Serana herself, as she indicated before.

"I'm sorry about this," Serana finally let out a sigh. "You did well. I couldn't take you to the side entrance. It would raise questions with Garan."

"Yeah, I got that," Bishop nodded. He understood. And it went surprisingly better than he expected. "It's fine. But what do we do now? Wait until they all go to sleep?"

"There is no time when they all sleep," Serana sighed again. "For now, I just brought you to my room and hopefully they won't disturb us. Just give me a moment to think about how I'll get you outside."

"Just me?" Bishop scowled at her. What did that mean?

"No. But I do have a way of getting out," she shook her head. "I bought us some time. We'll figure it out."

Right. She bought them time by taking him to her room. He was still curious about this. For what, exactly?

"So… what do they think is happening here?" Bishop prodded. He was really unsettled about the implications.

"Whatever I wish," Serana shrugged as she opened one of the old armoires there and looked inside. She was clearly at home here, but the room itself looked so… cold and impersonal. Nothing like their cozy cottage. Right about now he really missed that place. "We keep what we do with the cattle private. Aside from the feeding. Some torment them, hurt them, humiliate them, some only use them for their pleasure, some don't consider them worth any of it."

"What do you do?" Bishop pried again. It didn't make it sound any better than what he'd already been imagining. He didn't want to sound judgmental for Serana's sake, but this made him fucking uncomfortable. And it just served to remind him of Thorn again after that initial memory. That fucking sucked. He really didn't want to think of Serana like that.

"Whatever I wish. Privately," she reiterated what she had already said.

Fuck. That was unsatisfying. Fine though, she did shitty stuff to people in her past, so did he. He should just think of it that way – growing up in a fucked up environment like this would leave the lines blurry, just like it did for him. And she hadn't taken any 'cattle' in lately, as that Altmer said. He should just let her keep her past to herself.

That reminded him though.

"That elf… that was… weird. He looked like he was gonna get killed for suggesting your magic would fail you," Bishop pondered. The interaction did not develop in a way he expected. He was curious about that too.

"Vingalmo. He's the one who taught me all the magic I know, aside from the vampiric gifts," Serana explained as she kept rummaging through the closets. "My power developed… swiftly. He was used to instructing me and guiding me. He taught caution first and foremost. But my father didn't like that. He thought he was stifling my strength. A long time ago, he forbade Vingalmo from teaching me his ways."

That would explain his quick take-back at Serana's warning.

"You agreed with your father?" Bishop asked. Some caution with magic seemed like a good idea. And what Vingalmo suggested about disarming Bishop first sounded fucking smart, even if inconvenient for him.

"It… matters not. What my father says goes," she sighed. "Vingalmo is more reserved now when he tries to tell me what to do. I simply made use of it."

Good thing she did. But Bishop did get the impression she wasn't very excited about it overall.

He had more questions about her training, but before he could speak, suddenly something disturbed them again.

A loud knock on her door.

Serana turned sharply and an alarmed look appeared on her face.

Fuck. That didn't look good.

What was happening now?

…

Aeyrin kept looking at the water nervously. It's been a few hours.

She was so tempted to take that spyglass from Isran to watch the water properly, but Isran kept hogging it, looking over the area. He was especially interested in one direction – northeast towards an Imperial fort visible in the distance. She wasn't sure what that place was. Wasn't it abandoned? They passed it quite far from it when they came though. She couldn't see a thing.

Now Isran was so concentrated on it. It made her nervous.

She had to ask.

"What are you looking at?" She prodded. Before he only said he was checking the surroundings, but now he was really focused on that one place.

"Hmm…" he put down the spyglass with a deep crease between his brows. What was it? "That fort. I think there's… a problem."

A problem? With the mission? Because of the fort? Why? What was happening?

"Do you think someone can find us here?" She scowled. Were there soldiers there?

"No. Not at all. We are quite safe. Serana and Bishop too, I believe. It's another matter," Isran sighed. "I know this is not ideal, but…"

'But'? But what? She didn't understand what was happening.

Isran stashed the spyglass with determination and began to rummage in his pack. Soon, she saw him pull out his armor from there.

What? What was going on?

"Come with me or not, your choice. But I cannot ignore this," he growled, almost hatefully.

What did that mean? Serana mentioned he was impulsive, but Aeyrin did not see this coming. What was happening in that fort?

Was he seriously getting armed?

This meant nothing good.