Chapter 23

I didn’t know that a vampire could faint. You learn something new every day. Lydia was laughing a bit. “ Remember Delphine? Seems like every time you get with an older woman, they have this reaction to you.”

“Technically I’m probably older than Delphine, but not really, so I suppose you’re right. Here, hold your dagger tip out, so I can prick a fingertip.” She did, and I let a drop of blood well up. I held my finger under Serana’s nose. That worked like I hoped.

“Oh, my. Sorry about that. I just thought you said I was in there for more than three thousand years.”

“I said four, but that tells me how long you’ve been locked away. I’m guessing that’s a bit of a shock to you, from your reaction. But based upon you being in there with an Elder Scroll, would help explain why you’re not shriveled up like the draugr. The Scroll exists outside of time and space, so it preserved you as you were when you entered that chamber.” We started walking down the mountain, heading for Solitude.

“That actually makes sense. I know Mother was ... well, I’ll get into that when we get home, if I can.”

“Oh, good, I’m glad I’m not the only one who has issues with her Mother.”

“It’s not Mother who was the problem, it’s Father. They had different ideas, and Father did some things that could be seen as bad. She was supposed to come get me, to retrieve the Elder Scroll, when the issues with Father were resolved. I’m guessing that hasn’t happened.”

“Well, something has been coming to a head lately. As I mentioned, the dragons are coming back, Alduin World-Eater has returned after being lost in time for thousands of years. The reason we found you was simple. Vampires through the centuries have been basically a nuisance. At the same time the dragons came back, vampires have instead become a threat. We had to find out if the Volkihar were somehow responsible for Alduin’s return, and if so, how to stop it.”

“Father was obsessed with some plan or prophecy, but working with the dragons? That would be pure madness. As a guess, I’d say that he figured the disruption caused by the dragons would give him cover to send people out to search for me, and to recover the Elder Scrolls.”

“Scrolls, as in more than one. Lovely. Wait a minute, do you smell something on the breeze?”

“It’s coming from the east, my Thane. And there’s a hint of corruption on the wind as well, burnt flesh.”

We followed the smell around the mountain and found a building, the fires burned out by now, but with the ruins even now still smoldering in spots. Corpses were all over the area, vampires, death hounds, men and women wearing robes of Vigilants. “I’m glad this area is still so cold. This happened weeks ago. This must be what Tolan was talking about. And Serana, this is exactly what I was talking about.”

“By the Eight Divines, I know he’s been cruel, but how could Father do something like this?”

“Nine Divines. You’ve been away a while. We’ll talk about that later. Let’s head north to the coast, maybe Dawnstar, rest there a bit, then hopefully catch a carriage to Solitude. And that also brings up a question for you, Serana, since we need to enter the city. As you’ve pointed out, erm ... vampire.”

“I’m a Daughter of Coldharbour. If I chose, regular humans will not notice me as anything other than a normal, human woman. And while it’s uncomfortable, I can tolerate the sun in small doses.”

“Good. That will make things easier. Let’s get moving, it’s getting late and those of us who are mortal need to rest.”

A pack of wolves found out the hard way to not get in our way. Other than that, we found Dawnstar without issue. I went into the inn and simply rented a room for the three of us till dawn. Surprisingly to me, Serana also laid down with us. “Just because I’m immortal doesn’t mean I don’t need rest. And whatever it was that the Elder Scroll did to me, didn’t change that.”

“Welcome back to life, as it were. Get some sleep, then. We’ll be up at first light.”

The next morning we ate a bit of breakfast – and again, I was surprised as Serana ate some regular food – and then we headed out. I’d heard the innkeeper talking about nightmares the locals seemed to have, and a priest of Mara was reassuring them that She would take care of things. I hoped he planned on being part of that, because so far it didn’t seem the Gods acted on their own, only through us.

The carriage took us to Morthal, where we caught another heading on to Solitude. As we were riding through the countryside, Serana asked, “Martina, why are we going to Solitude?”

“Honestly, pretty simple. I need to talk to a man there about ending a war. Once we’ve accomplished that, from what you’ve said, we should be able to follow the coast up and around to your home.”

She was quiet again until we dismounted from the wagon and started walking up to the gates. “You know, from the castle, we used to just be able to see Solitude over the mountains. It’s just what I imagined.”

“Imagined? Did you never travel here?”

“I know you’re probably tired of me saying this, but ... it’s complicated.”

“When isn’t it? After all, the reason we’re trying to stop the war, or at least pause it, is so I can use Dragonsreach to capture a dragon.”

“I remember hearing about when High King Olaf did that, or at least imprisoned one there. Numinex was his name, if I remember correctly. Caught him weakened from something and captured him, then had him hauled to Whiterun and kept him prisoner until he died.”

We entered the city and started walking through the town. “You said you had to see a man about ending a war?”

“Correct. And this ought to prove interesting, since the last time he met me, he wanted to cut my head off.”

“I’ve known a few men like that in my time.” Serana laughed.

“Well, this is ... complicated.” I giggled. “Sorry, couldn’t help saying that. I hate to sound mysterious, but you’ll see.” I led our way up to Castle Dour and then inside.

A Nord woman in Imperial armor was leaning over a map table, arguing with Tullius about Ulfric’s intentions. They were arguing about Balgruuf and his problems, about how he wouldn’t accept help. Tullius was angry at Balgruuf, it appeared.

“Sorry to interrupt this discussion, General, but I have something important to talk to you about.”

“I remember you. You were at Helgen. Speak to Legate Rikke. I suspect we could use someone like you.”

“You wouldn’t know how to use me properly. In any event, that’s not why I’m here.”

“I see. Then there’s nothing further to discuss.”

“Really? I have message for you from the Greybeards.”

“The Greybeards? What do those old hermits want with me?”

“They’re convening a peace council at High Hrothgar.”

“Why? There’s nothing to discuss as long as that traitor Ulfric is in arms against his rightful Emperor.”

“We need a truce until the dragon menace is dealt with.”

“I agree that they are getting to be a problem. But I wasn’t sent to Skyrim to fight dragons. My job is to quell this rebellion, and I intend to do just that, dragons or no dragons.”

“The dragons are a bigger problem than the Stormcloaks.”

“I’ll be the judge of that. Besides, from all reports, the Stormcloaks are suffering just as much from the dragon attacks as we are.”

“Ulfric has already agreed to attend.”

“He has, has he? He probably wants to bluster about the Empire’s latest so-called crimes. He’s probably hoping I’ll refuse so he can say the Empire is being unreasonable. I think I’ll have to disappoint him yet again. So I’ll come to this peace council of yours.”

“Very good. We’ll meet you there.”

We left the castle and started back out. Serena asked, “So that group Jurgen Windcaller formed are still around?”

“Yes. Have you ever climbed the Seven Thousand Steps?”

“Uh, no. I’ve honestly been more of a stay near the castle kind of girl, at least up until when Mother ... well, did what she had to do.”

Lydia chimed in. “Don’t worry. It’ll do wonders for your thigh and leg muscles, and if you have any excess fat on your rear, you’ll lose it after the first three or four trips up there.”

“Are we going there now, or are you going to take me home?”

“We’re heading for your home. I still need to find out if your Elder Scroll is related to Alduin’s return. For all we know, I may need you around when we face him again.”

“Wait a minute. You’ve already faced Alduin? As you noted, I’m well read. He was the first born of Akatosh, the most powerful of dragons.”

“We didn’t truly defeat him, but we damned sure weakened him. Keep in mind my father was of Dragon blood himself, and actually became the living avatar of Akatosh. I’ve seen his remains, the statue he became, in the Imperial City, when I was finally traveling from Mother’s realm.”

“Your Mother’s realm? Are you royalty?”

“Remember those trust issues you talked about, Daughter of Coldharbour? Daughter of Molag Bal?”

“You know of that?” She gasped.

“If we ever get to the Shivering Isles – and I don’t honestly recommend it, although Uncle Haskill is a dear – I’ll introduce you to my Mother. Lady Sheogorath. And as for royalty, Lydia, do you want to explain?”

“It’s pretty simple, Serana. Martina’s father was also the last Septim Emperor, killed before our Martina was born, defending all of Tamriel. When Tullius mentioned earlier that Ulfric was in rebellion against his rightful Emperor, well, due to political machinations, that crown actually belongs to our Martina here.”

Serana walked in silence for several minutes, digesting what she’d been told. Finally she said, “I don’t think that my Elder Scroll has anything directly to do with Alduin. I knew that it was going to require some powerful blood to release me from the prison, which may mean that prophecy meant you were to find me. My father has been working on something for ... I guess now, for thousands of years, waiting for the right confluence of events. It’s probably because Alduin has returned, that he is using the disruption caused, to try to bring everything to it’s completion. And he’s counting on you to defeat Alduin, but to be so distracted by that, that you won’t see what he’s planning.”

“Paarthurnax said he was surprised your clan still existed. I thought at one point he was looking for this, the Dragon Elder Scroll.”

“Oh, Gods. He was. There are three scrolls he needs. You have one, I have one, and my Mother had one.”

“Then let us hope we meet your Mother at your home.”

We passed by a ship docked along the coast. The road started to climb the mountain, then after a bit it started to descend again. A building straddled the road ahead. I stopped. “Okay, let’s try to avoid that place if we can.”

“Why is that?” Serana asked.

“Thalmor.” Lydia spit out. “Can we kill them, my Thane?”

“Can we? Yes. Right now? No. Let’s try to avoid them if possible. This looks like a large encampment, something rather permanent. Let’s go around for now.”

When we finally made it to the coast, the sky was quite clear. Serana pointed out, off in the far distance, a castle rising from an island in the sea. “Castle Volkihar.”

The cold wind coming across the sea was nearly numbing. It was only through our continued movement that I felt relief. “Ladies, I know you’re both Nords, and presumably used to this climate. This is not my idea of a relaxing beach spot.”

“It’s a harsh land, of that there is no doubt. But there is still beauty here. I can still see some of the same now as existed in my time.”

“You’re right. I’m growing attached to the land more and more each day. On another topic, there’s a sabre cat that ahead that seems to be looking our way. Get ready.”

Lydia and I both used arrows while Serana used ice spikes. I soon had some more ingredients. We ran into a few mud crabs that fared no better than the cat. Trudging through the black sand and rocks of the beach, it seemed like the castle grew no closer no matter how long we walked.

A shipwreck lay ahead of us, with a camp and fire in sight. “What do you think, recent wreck, with survivors wondering when help is going to arrive?”

“I don’t know, my Thane. Maybe they’re scavengers.”

Lydia proved to be correct. There were three of them. One was a mage, but that didn’t help, they just shouldn’t have attacked us, and they paid the penalty for it. “Ladies, as much as I want to continue on, to get Serana home, I think we’re done for this afternoon. It’s getting late and quite frankly, this cold wind is starting to get to me.”

“Martina, as much as I want to get home, I agree. My muscles aren’t used to this much exertion again, not yet anyway.”

We rested inside the tent while the weather blew cold outside. It remained warm inside. While we were talking about simple things for once, at one point to make a point I reached over and touched Serana’s hand. I pulled my hand back in surprise. She glanced down at me, then smiled.

“Sorry, Martina, I thought you knew. I guess it would be a shock to realize that the cold blooded vampire you’re dealing with really isn’t cold blooded.”

“No, I’m the one who needs to apologize to you. Let me guess, another facet of being a Daughter of Coldharbour?”

“Exactly. Don’t ... get me wrong. You still won’t see me with a Detect Life spell. But even during my ... awake ... time, before going into the chamber, there were differences between us and the regular vampires you run across out in the wilderness. We ... we’re different, is the easiest explanation.”