Chapter 59: Dayspring Canyon

[15th – 19th of Sun's Height 4E 202]

After spending a couple of days in Riften, we – Fiona and I with our housecarls Lydia, Iona and Jordis, my saber cats Hanni and Nanni, and Inigo, whom I had indeed found in the Riften jail – had left the city to see if we could find Fort Dawnguard. Some time ago, Durak had passed Whiterun and announced that the Dawnguard was recruiting, and I was curious to see what was going on, specifically to learn about the potential to find Serana, the beautiful vampiress. The entrance to their area was about where it should be, but more complex than just passing through, and Durak had found us and hurried us through, as a dragon fight was in progress inside, in Dayspring Canyon. We had helped, of course, but I had been not careful enough and got hit by a flameball from the creature, although I had been able to reduce the intensity by casting ice spikes against it and wrapping my cloak around me. The heat was almost unbearable, despite all of that, and I had jumped into the nearby lake right after to cool off. Once I had crawled out again, I passed out from effort and shock.

When I regained consciousness, I found my head resting on Jordis' lap, and she fed the content of another potion bottle into me. I felt Hanni and Nanni left and right snuggled against my body, and most of the pain I had felt before was gone. I did not feel like speaking yet, but I could hear some people talking, though slightly dulled and distorted:

"You are a strange customer. That is not normal with the glowing tendrils of light and the sucking noise! Do you feel OK?"

"Oh yes, Inigo, this is normal when I absorb a dragon's soul after defeating it. This is part of me being Dragonborn."

"What does a dragon's soul taste like? I wonder if I will ever know. I imagine it must be a little like licking the inside of an oven."

There was some laughter around, and I realized that it had been Inigo asking, likely after he had watched the light show when Fiona had absorbed the dragon soul. When there was silence again, I asked:

"What have I missed?"

"You've been only out for a few minutes. Inigo helped with his ebony arrows, and Fiona just managed to kill the dragon; she absorbed the soul. The warriors over there might still have their jaws dropped."

My housecarl giggled, in a way I was not used to from her normally composed behavior, and she continued:

"It is an impressive sight, I have to admit."

She was entirely right. Although I had seen the effect of absorbing a dragon soul hundreds of times in the game and several times here in real Skyrim, when Fiona had been around for a dragon kill, it was still impressive to see, and I was looking forward to observing that again at some time in the future. In a low and subdued voice, so that only I could hear it, my housecarl continued:

"My Thane, I would like to ask you to be more careful in future. You seem to have a habit to get yourself injured, and we may not always be able to help. I'd not want to see your corpse if something went wrong and you get killed before we can do anything about it!"

She was right again; I did need to learn to react in a better way when danger was around. It was difficult for me, as I had not been trained for that, but I should try at least. Apparently, Jordis did not expect an answer, and she continued:

"There hasn't been time for introductions yet, and I assume that this will be next."

I nodded, and before I started to get up again, I used my right paw and worked a healing spell on various parts of my body, specifically the head. This cured me from the remaining traces of a headache, and slowly I got up to my feet, although my position so far, with my head on my housecarl's lap, was slightly more comfortable than I was willing to admit. While I quickly checked Hanni's and Nanni's state of health, two more warriors approached from the direction where the fort should be, and without anybody suggesting it explicitly, we all gathered around a campfire right in front of a building which looked like a storage shed or so, directly on the trail we had come from. One of the warriors, likely the one in charge, started to talk in a deep voice:

"Welcome to Dayspring Canyon, everybody, and my thanks for bringing down that dragon. I thought that vampires would be the main threat we'd have to face, but it appears that there are dragons to take care of, too. By the way, my name is Isran, and my comrades here are Celann, Mogrul and Durak."

Durak, the Orc, we had already met. Celann was a male Breton, and Mogrul another male Orc. Fiona looked at me, and I understood that she wanted me to do the introductions, which I did:

"Thank you for the kind welcome, Isran. First of all, the Bosmer lady over there is Fiona, the Dragonborn."

"Yes, we have seen what she did to the dragon. Got to admit that I had never really believed the rumors, the ones about a living Dragonborn, but there's no denial now; I am honored to make your acquaintance, Lady Dragonborn."

Fiona nodded, and I continued:

"The warrior ladies with us are Jordis, Iona, and Lydia; the Khajiit next to me is called Inigo, and I am B'lushona from Whiterun. Last but not least the two saber cats and the big wolf are with us."

"Yes, I have already wondered about that. I have heard about people who managed to tame a wolf before, but never a saber cat; that's quite an achievement. They even helped to fight against the dragon, as I've been told."

"Yes, they have a habit to do that, too. So, you are the Dawnguard, right?"

"Yes, we are, that's not a secret. Normally we have new recruits run a test just by finding the way here through the cave, but with the dragon emergency, Durak skipped that for you. You are here to join?"

Fiona shook her head and explained:

"Isran, although that is an interesting and tempting offer, I can't. I have to prepare myself for the fight with Alduin, and I cannot allow myself to be sidetracked."

She was right, of course. In the game, one could easily join all kind of guilds and factions and do related quests, without any reason to hurry. Here, in real Skyrim, this was likely not such a great idea, and it seemed more reasonable to focus on one's core tasks. Isran needed to learn more, though:

"Alduin, the World-Eater? Not just a few 'normal' dragons'?"

"Indeed, Alduin is back, and I have encountered him a couple of times."

Isran swallowed, and then he looked at me; however, I also declined:

"Sorry, but I'm already a member of the Companions of Whiterun."

In the game, that would not have been a reason to decline, but here I wanted to keep my freedom; Kodlak had been understanding and accepted that I was frequently gone from Whiterun for various reasons, but Isran would sure expect every Dawnguard member to stick around most of the time. Meanwhile, Isran looked at our housecarls, and Lydia explained their status to him. The Dawnguard leader raised a brow and asked:

"Each of you is Thane of two holds? That's quite something, I have to admit. All right, I understand that you can't become official members, but can I grant you, Fiona, an honorable membership at least?"

The Bosmer smiled and nodded:

"I'd be honored to accept that, Isran."

The Orc turned towards me and added:

"And you, B'lushona, shall also be accepted as a friend and have free access to the canyon and the fort; that extends to all of your housecarls, of course."

We exchanged some more information, and when we had talked enough, Isran invited us to the fort to spend a night or two. Like in the game, we followed the trail for some time, and eventually the walls of Fort Dawnguard were ahead. A female wood elf met us before we entered the palisades, looked at us, and greeted Fiona:

"Not a lot of our kind here, I see. Suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Still, those of us here have as much of an obligation to protect Skyrim as any other, wouldn't you agree?"

Fiona nodded, and the other Bosmer added:

"Isran is the only one trying to do something about these vampires. We can't allow the people of Skyrim to be preyed upon by those monsters. Oh, and I am Beleval, by the way."

The fort ahead of us looked similar to its counterpart in the game, at first glance at least, but closer looks revealed some differences. Specifically, this fort here seemed to be in need of repairing, and while nothing looked outright destroyed or broken, it was apparent that the building and environment had not seen a lot of maintenance for some time. While we walked towards the entrance, having to follow the winding tail in a big loop, I asked Isran:

"I may be mistaken, but there's a lot of repairing to do around here, right?"

"You are right, friend" the Redguard replied. "The fort was abandoned for a long time, and we have only recently reclaimed the area around here. The main walls are sturdy enough, but we sure will need a few artisans to push repairs."

"When was the fort built, Isran?"

I was not sure if that information had been available in the game, and I was curious. Isran responded:

"Fort Dawnguard was originally owned by the Jarl of Riften back in the Second Era. According to what I heard, the Jarl's son, obviously not a very good person, adventured a little but too much and managed to contract vampirism. The Jarl tried to avoid having his own son killed and instead had the fort constructed; he hired a large group of mercenaries and called them the 'Dawnguard', tasked to guard his son and keep him quarantined, maybe hoping that a cure could be found eventually. So, that's where the fort and the name come from."

"So, are you a descendant of this mercenary group?"

"Me? No, I don't think so. History is vague on what happened to the original Dawnguard. One source claims that they were forced to eventually kill the Jarl's son and were afterwards banished from the hold, another source tells that most of the group saw the advantages of being a vampire and decided to become bloodsuckers themselves. Either way, the fort fell into a state of disrepair and was eventually abandoned; I am sure that we can put it to good use."

He did not mention if this was something the current Jarl knew about and approved, but that was not my problem. We had now reached the fort's main entrance, and Isran opened the gate and led us inside. As expected, a short and wide passage opened up into a large round area, with some benches, shelves, barrels and crates along the walls. The ceiling was very high, and I could see the balustrade on the floor above. There was a small round opening at the very top, with daylight coming in from there, and I vaguely recalled that this opening had been used a few times in the game to verify if returning people were still healthy and not secretly vampires, by somehow guiding sunlight to the ground inside. Close to the center of that area there were three people who were apparently arguing; Beleval, the female Bosmer who had gone inside ahead of us while we had been discussing the state and the past of the fort, and two male Nords. One of the male Nords said when we had entered:

"Yes, Dimhollow Crypt, right. As I mentioned before, Brother Adalvald was sure it held some long-lost vampire artifact of some kind. We didn't listen to him any more than we did Isran. He was at the Hall when it was attacked..."

When the name 'Dimhollow Crypt' was mentioned, my attention was immediately raised, and I felt my ears perking up; that was clearly something I wanted to hear more about. The Bosmer responded:

"Even though, we don't have the resources and manpower to send an expedition there; there are just too few of us yet, Tolan."

"But, Beleval, you don't understand! If the vampires get that artifact, we don't know what's going to happen!"

"We don't even know what kind of an artifact that might be!"

"If needed, I will go there on my own!"

The other male Nord chimed in:

"Tolan, I'm not sure if this is such a great idea; according to what I heard, you Vigilants were never trained for…"

"Never trained? I know what you think of us; you think we're soft, that we're cowards. You think our deaths proved our weakness. Stendarr grant that you do not have to face the same test and be found wanting. We have fought various abominations for centuries, not just vampires! Our Hall now being destroyed and our Keeper dead does not imply that we're worthless!"

"Hold on, you three!" Isran's voice boomed through the hall now. "We have had this discussion before. Tolan, yes, I know that you Vigilants are no cowards, but in order to investigate a crypt which might be filled with vampires, we cannot just send one or two people – that'd be a death sentence. Beleval is absolutely right that we don't have the manpower to send a larger group at this time."

Tolan looked at him and tried to argue again, but the Redguard cut him short:

"Cut it, Tolan. Now, we have met a few people, and while they can't join us directly for various reasons, they may be willing to help. Tolan, can you please, for the benefit or the newcomers, tell us again about the crypt."

The Nord sighed, nodded and told us:

"There is this place, Dimhollow Crypt. I just said that Brother Adalvald, one of us, was convinced it held some special vampire artifact; he was going to try and find out more, as he believed that it might be beneficial for us to get our hands on it before the vampires do. We didn't listen to him any more than we did listen to Isran. Poor Brother Adalvald; he was at the Hall when it was attacked, and we believe that the vampires took him with them."

I had a few questions, mainly to find out how close the situation was to the one in the game:

"So, the Hall of the Vigilants was destroyed, and that place was the headquarter for the Vigilants of Stendarr, right?"

"Yes, this is correct. We do have other places, like Stendarr's Beacon, but the Hall was a place of respite, learning and comradeship, where a road-weary brother or sister could rest for a time in peace and comfort. Most of our learning could be found there. We always studied our enemies, so we might better learn how to defeat them. But of course, those days are gone now."

"Do you have any idea why the vampires attacked the Vigilants?"

"By destroying our Hall, the vampires likely hoped to cripple our order's activities in Skyrim. I suspect now that it was mainly Brother Adalvald's journals they were after. He was obsessed with ancient vampire artifacts and burial sites."

"Do you believe that the vampires who attacked the Vigilant Hall are also looking there now? Are they going to focus on Dimhollow Crypt?"

"Yes, I do. With any luck, they'll still be there, and maybe even Brother Adalvald, though I doubt that he's still alive. I should hurry to get there; it's the least I can do to avenge my fallen comrades."

"I understand, but you won't be able to defeat a group of vampires on your own."

Tolan just looked down to the ground, probably unwilling to believe and accept the truth. Isran turned towards us and asked:

"This is absolutely correct; a fight against vampires requires more than a single person. Now, are any of you willing and ready to join an expedition and find out what's in that crypt? Without any further obligations to us?"

That was a very tempting suggestion for me. Tolan being here and mentioning Dimhollow Crypt and the destroyed hall likely implied that the quest to find Serana had just started, although the destruction of the Hall of Vigilants had already been mentioned by Durak when he had passed Whiterun earlier. In the game, of course, the player always got the quest to explore the crypt, right when one first got to Fort Dawnguard and talked to Isran. Here, I was not the 'player', and things were not focused on and around me, but as the opportunity was maybe there, I really wanted to see if Serana was as stunning and gorgeous as she looked in the game, at least with the mods I had used. Also, the Redguard had clearly stated 'without any further obligations', so that doing that quest would not automatically trigger an entire questline. I asked my companions, without mentioning Serana, of course, and Fiona said:

"I don't think that such an expedition is on my agenda. But if Isran allows me to stay here for a week or two, I could train with his people; I would like to do that. Balu, if you want to go, feel free to do so; I've got Iona, Lydia, and Nymeria with me after all."

She didn't phrase it like this, but I got a feeling that she wouldn't mind if we went our separate ways for some time again. I pondered the options for a few more seconds, and after a quick conversation with Jordis and Inigo I turned towards the Redguard:

"Isran, I hereby volunteer to join the expedition to Dimhollow Crypt, together with my friend Inigo, my housecarl Jordis and my two saber cats."

"Excellent! If your strength matches your size, you might even be able to defeat a vampire in melee combat. Now, I can't send an army with you, but at least one of us should go. Agmaer, do you think you're ready?"

"Yes, Isran, I think that I am. I have been training with Durak and Beleval for quite a few weeks now, and I should be ready to find out what I can do in real combat, against vampires."

"That remains to be seen, but yes, you have trained and learned a lot. Now, B'lushona, I have noticed that you already have a crossbow. Are you proficient in using it?"

"Somewhat, yes. I wouldn't mind, though, if I could stay here for a day or two for some training before we leave."

"That's a good idea; let's do that and learn from each other."

"But we may not have much time…" Tolan started to argue again.

"Tolan, a good preparation is always important. Neither you nor Agmaer have worked and fought with B'lushona and his housecarl before, and you'll need to learn about each other's strengths and weaknesses before I am willing to send you against vampires. Believe me or not, but we work in a team; only a good team stands a chance against vampires."

The Vigilant grudgingly conceded that point, and we agreed that we'd use two or three full days – starting tomorrow – for training.

Train we did, and Isran pushed us through a tough program on the next day, right after a quick breakfast. I did not really mind that, as I still had to learn a lot about fighting. Tolan grumbled a lot, and Agmaer just sighed a few times. Agmaer was the 'greenest' among us, with the least fighting experience, and Isran taunted him a few times:

"You need to do more than just thinking about Pa's axe when you fight, boy! Remember that you also have that crossbow on your back, and attacking vampires from a distance may be frequently the wiser option."

"You need to be quicker than that! Vampires don't wait for you to be ready!"

I got my share of comments as well, such as:

"I can't believe it; how can you be so big and so clumsy?"

"Tolan got under your guard and you barely noticed it!"

"Can't always rely on your housecarl to save you!"

He apparently found if harder to criticize Jordis, as my housecarl had likely much more practical combat experience that Agmaer and I together. He suggested that Jordis might also want to grab a crossbow, but she declined:

"I better stick with what I have; one day is not enough to become familiar and proficient with a new weapon."

She had a point, and Isran saw this as well. Despite Tolan's arguing, we spent another day with mostly training before Isran declared us ready to go. I got an opportunity to restock my supplies of crossbow bolts; I had been almost running out before, as bolts were not readily available in other locations, like from smiths. When I had restocked, the Dawnguard leader mentioned:

"I really need more people to properly man the castle. There are people I've met and worked with over the years. We need their skills, their talents, if we're going to survive this. At this time, I don't know where to find them, but we need a blacksmith or two and more."

"Yes, I also believe that it would be good to have a resident blacksmith. Another question, Isran. Have you thought about some creatures to help fighting against vampires, like dogs or so?"

"Funny that you mention that. I heard some rumors about a special breed of huskies which might be suited, but I don't know much more yet. Let me know if you hear anything!"

"Will do, Isran."

Inigo also found some time to practice archery with Fiona, and it turned out that the blueish Khajiit was indeed excellent with his bow; Fiona admitted that getting trained by him was valuable for her. I would not have minded to have some time to explore the valley and everything in it, including the caves, but it appeared that this was not going to happen for now; training was more important, and our quest waited.

During the night after the first full training day I had an odd dream:

We had arrived at Fort Dawnguard, the ultimate bastion against vampires, and at least we were going to be safe here. Vampire attacks had been getting more and more frequent all over Skyrim, but together with support of huskies and armored trolls, we were sure going to be able to do something about it. We were a group of sturdy fighters and archers and had high quality Dawnguard armor and weapons; what could happen?

Unfortunately, vampires had, apparently, recently found their way into the valley, and another night was starting, with moon and stars mostly covered by clouds. My Khajiit eyes could partially compensate for that, and I had been asked to serve mainly as scout, looking around from one of the towers.

It wasn't long before I could see, or rather guess, the approaching fiends; even with my eyesight they were almost invisible. Somebody threw a few torches outside to set fire to the various heaps of wood we had prepared during the day, and as soon as some illumination was provided, the archers found their target. Those targets were vampires, though, and a single arrow rarely stopped one of them. This changed as soon as those who could handle such a weapon used their crossbows, and the ranks of vampires slowly diminished. Nonetheless, some of them managed to get close to the wall, and targeting them was getting more difficult. We continued to do our best; there was no way they could get up the walls, unless they had a Vampire Lord with them who could change into bats. They did not, as it appeared, but I could see a group of bloodsuckers pushing something towards the main gate. They could not have explosives, right? Nonetheless I called down to the archers:

"Legolas, stop those with the cart!"

They tried, but all of a sudden there was a big explosion and not only the sturdy gate, but also parts of the wall next to it had been turned into small pieces and dust. The vampires were quick to exploit the situation, and somebody called out:

"Get back into the Keep! We cannot hold the walls any longer!"

Not all of us managed to do that, and a grim Isran announced: We can only hope that Gandalf arrives on time at dawn; otherwise we are lost. There are just too many of them."

We held out, dawn came, but no relief troops arrived. The gate to the Keep was mostly in pieces as well now, and we did not have any place to retreat to any longer; besides, there were less than a dozen of us left alive. The end was near, and the eagles and Gandalf were clearly not coming...

Sweating I woke up and realized that this had been a dream, another nightmare. Apparently I had mixed up the vampire situation with elements from the 'Lord of the Rings', specifically the fight for 'Helm's Deep'. Oh well; that had really not been a pleasant dream at all. Why did I have evil dreams like that from time to time?

On the morning of the fourth day, after three days of intensive training, Isran gave us his final words before he all but threw us out of the fort:

"All right, now I can at least hope that you won't kill each other on your mission. I need you out in the field, taking the fight to the damn vampires, while we're getting the fort back into shape. Find what the vampires are looking for in Dimhollow Crypt and do what you can to come back alive!"

Fiona had already said Good-Bye to us on the day before. She would be fine here, and for whatever she might do afterwards, and her housecarls and her direwolf would take care of her and protect her. Besides, she needed to find her own way, and we – Inigo, Jordis, Hanni, Nanni and myself, together with Tolan and Agmaer – hurried to get on our way.

[Author's Notes: Balu has never purchased a CC mod nor has he had a chance to get the (free) Anniversary Edition update, so that the fishery and related quests are new to him.]