Chapter 37

There were two horses waiting for us when we returned to the mainland. They still had plenty of fodder down to eat, so perhaps we’d not been gone for weeks like when I went to Sovngarde. Serana and I had an easy journey back to Whiterun, arriving home the next morning.

The rest of my companions were just gathering outside for morning exercises. “It’s only been a few days, we didn’t expect you back so quickly. Did everything go okay?” Lydia asked.

“Yes. We have the third scroll. I’d like to see us take a couple of days here to make sure we’ve had some rest, and then we’ll be off.”

“We can do that. Adrianne has plenty of arrows for us, and she also got enough material in that she made a shield for Argis that matches the rest of his armor.”

“Good. I have a few potions to make. Send Elise to me when you’re done with your forms, I have a few things to discuss with her.”

During the next two days, the time not spent in getting materials ready was spent in planning for what would come next, after the vampires were defeated. I charged Elise with figuring and making assorted contingency plans to defeat both the Thalmor and legitimately gain the throne. On the third morning we headed out, to clean out a vampire lair.

We followed the road network towards Windhelm, stopping in Mixwater Mill. There was no pathway up the hill, so we rode across the open land to our destination, Mara’s Eye Pond. The ruins of a small fortress lay within sight. This actually was a pretty location, a lake with a small island in the middle, a boat tied up there. We walked the shore looking for the lair entrance, not finding anything. That made it pretty obvious it was on the island.

It was chilly, but not bad getting to the island. A couple of mudcrabs fled in terror as we climbed out of the water. Hidden in some brush was a trap door leading below ground. The lair was beneath the lake. I opened the door and quietly descended the long ladder.

This was a moderately sized cavern, with an assortment of crates and boxes within. I heard voices from the far side of the room. Creeping around, I actually heard the comment, “Would you please pass that smuggler’s liver?” I glanced over and saw three vampires, eating someone. I held up three fingers, then pointed, readying my bow. I took one, the others paired up and shot the other two, killing them instantly.

We found a logbook. Apparently the hapless meal had been a smuggler that had been hired to bring long boxes here, which turned out to contain vampires. There were some cages on a lower, partially flooded level. The body of a Vigilant of Stendarr was in one of them. Argis said, “You know, I think they’d almost do better if they just hired us to do their dirty work for them. At least they’d live longer.”

“They sort of did, that’s why we’re working with the Dawnguard.”

“Oh, right. Didn’t think of it that way, my Thane.”

“At least there’s not much else here. You know what to do, gather any treasure and ingredients and then let’s be off. I’m glad there wasn’t much else here, but also disappointed, I’d hoped to hurt Harkon more by clearing this lair.”

“Martina, I think this is just one of many lairs Father has spread around Skyrim. I’m sure we’ll find more.”

We returned to the land above and remounted. I led the way down to the river, where we crossed at a ford. “We’re due west of Kynesgrove, we’ll head south from there.” There was a small shanty by the riverside, looked like someone was trying to eek out a living here. As I neared the door, a bear came charging out of the shack. It took one look at us and ran in terror. It didn’t make it very far. Lydia looked in the shack.

“Looks like we’re a bit late for the owner.”

We got up to the road and started southward. After a bit I heard the sounds of the dragon that lived here. “Oh, yes, forgot all about you, didn’t I? And you’ll have a Word Wall there as well. Would anyone care to guess what we’re going to do now? Oh, and ... uh ... shoot the bad dragon. Not our ally. You’ll see what I mean.”

As we got closer to the mountain, I used the shout that Durnehviir had taught me to summon him for assistance. “As promised, I teach the first word of Soul Tear. Thank you for bringing me here.” With that he gave me the Word, then attacked the dragon circling nearby. That dragon came in for an abrupt landing right in front of me. Two arrows from me along with a little help from my companions and I was absorbing his soul.

I had forgotten one minor detail, and that was the aggressiveness of Durnehviir. He was so happy to be back in the skies again that he began attacking the giant camp that was near the Word Wall. “Um, my Thane, is he supposed to be doing that?”

“Mammoth steaks, anyone? Come on, let’s kill us a giant.”

Only Lydia knew about my special potions. “Oh, this is going to be fun!” Everyone else looked at her like she was insane. As the giant began closing upon us while our dragon was chasing mammoths halfway across the realm, I pulled out a poison for my bow. I waited until I couldn’t miss, then fired a single arrow. The giant fell to the ground, paralyzed, and then the lingering damage from the poison killed him after a few moments later.

“Oh, yes! That’s what I was hoping to see! Isn’t it great? Is it any wonder she’s who she is, a wonder of the realm? Gods, I love you, Martina.”

“Lydia, did you have Adrianne put something special in your armor before we left, so you’re excited, or what?”

“Sorry, it’s just ... I’m ... I don’t know, I sometimes think there isn’t anything you can’t do. And you’re MY Thane!”

“Okay, okay. At least the giants have us a nice fire here, and I doubt anyone will bother us. Let’s get bedrolls laid down, we’ll rest here for the night. Regular watches.” We did end up getting some mammoth steaks for dinner out of this encounter. And I learned another Word.

The next morning we again headed south. Several times bears, sabre cats, or wolves tried to delay our progress. They did, in that we had to take a little time to retrieve arrows. An orc warrior came walking down the road while we were getting ready to resume riding after one encounter. She said, “What’s a milk drinker like you doing out here in the wilderness?”

“Oh, perhaps looking for an orc hide as decoration for my home. Are you volunteering to die so I can have one?”

“Hey, that’s okay, I’m not looking for trouble.” She kept on walking.

Annekke said, “That’s ... a first. I’ve never seen an orc back down like that.”

We started winding our way back around and up the mountains. After killing a few more wolves, we found a tent by a doorway that led into the mountainside. “That’s odd. I would have expected a guard, at least.”

“What is this place?”

“Ruunvald. Remember, there’s supposed to be someone here to help Isran.”

“Ha! We’ve been so busy I’d forgotten.

We entered the doorway and started down. There were two Vigilants of Stendarr at the bottom of the stairs. They immediately started attacking us. We defended ourselves, killing them both. “What was that all about?”

“Martina, did you see that strange glow about them? Perhaps it’s because of my vampire’s eyes, but ... they’re under some sort of charm. I don’t think we’re going to be able to talk to them.”

“Fine. Sorry, Stendarr, it looks like we’re going to be depleting the ranks of your worshipers.”

“My Thane, I found this in the tent before we entered, since I was the last one in line so I had a bit longer to look around. It appears to be a journal of some kind.”

“Thank you, Argis. Let’s see here ... digging right place ... dream of finding Ruunvald ... hear a reassuring voice. That’s pretty much confirmation that they’re charmed. Be ready to kill anyone and everyone we encounter.”

We continued down the tunnel. Another Vigilant saw us and started to attack. An arrow from me ended his charge. Another was in corner, digging some ore. Three housecarls took care of her. There was a tripwire ahead of us. I set it off using “FUS”, so the fire trap wouldn’t hurt any of us. A husky and a Vigilant came charging down the hallway towards us. I took out the Vigilant, the dog was killed by my warriors. A bit further down a tunnel and another Vigilant came charging towards us. He also died to my arrow.

“Um, Martina, is it just me, or are your arrows a lot more deadly?”

“While we were getting ready, you remember I was making some potions? Some of them allowed me to enchant things ... better. You know the rings and necklaces you wear that I made you to help your marksmanship? I need more soul gems, so I can make more for all of you. But mine are considerably better than they were. That’s why I gave my old ones to Lydia. And remember how I worked with Adrianne on all your weapons, improving the balance of your swords? I also made potions to help with my smithing skills.”

“So, what you’re saying is ... we’re going to decimate whatever we run into.”

“Yeah, pretty much. That dragon we ran into could probably bite Jordris and it wouldn’t penetrate her armor at this point. Doesn’t mean we can’t get hurt or killed, just from being battered upon, but we’re about as safe from any other physical harm as I could make us.”

“Damn.”

“Exactly, Argis. In case you need a bit of reinforcement of knowledge, I love all of you. I want to keep you as safe from harm as possible. I need you, too, which means I’m going to be putting you into danger. It’s just ... be careful, okay?”

We continued downward through this different kind of Nordic ruin, killing several more Vigilants as we went. On a table I found another journal, from the same person as before. In it, he wrote of the Vigilants of Minorne, then his father Minorne, his sister, Minorne, and finally his colleagues, Minorne, Minorne, and his mentor Minorne. After reading it, I said to my companions, “I’d say this whole place has either been charmed or put under some kind of spell, or is part of my Mother’s realm. Since we’re nowhere near the Shivering Isles ... be on the lookout for someone named Minorne.”

We continued downward, into this partially cleared out Nordic ruin. More huge chambers lay before us, with more Vigilants that died. A doorway led into another chamber, with a document that said Florentius was resisting whatever effect this Minorne had on everyone else. We ended up in a large room, with a locked cage on one end. I saw someone who was not dressed like a Vigilant, so I shot her with an arrow. That must have been the sorceress, because upon her death the remaining Vigilants in this chamber all died without us doing anything else.

There was a man in the locked cage. I found the key upon one of the bodies and opened the cage. “I knew it! I knew Arkay would save me. I asked for help, and he sent you. You are a very welcome addition to this dreary place, my friend. I owe both you and Arkay a great deal. I’m sure I’ll manage to repay him later, but ... what can I do to thank you?”

“You can meet me at Fort Dawnguard and help Isran.”

“Isran? Needs help? What is this, some kind of joke? Did Arkay put you up to this? Isran has done nothing but mock me. He’s never given me the respect I deserve.”

“Sorine and Gunmar say they need your help.”

“Look, I’ve just gotten myself out of quite a mess here, in case you haven’t noticed, and while I appreciate your help, I ... What’s that? No, that’s not what I ... Yes, but ... Are you sure? Really? Fine. Arkay says it’s a good idea for me to go. I don’t agree, but he’s not the sort of fellow you can just ignore. I’ll see you at Fort Dawnguard, then. Don’t worry, Arkay will show me the way.”

He started walking away from us, whistling to himself. “Is it just me, or is he crazy?”

“Honestly, Serana, I’m pretty much an expert on crazy. He’s touched in the head, that’s for sure. But it’s possible he truly is in contact with Arkay. Come on, let’s see if there’s anything else here, get something to eat and some rest, and then get out of here.”

It was early the next morning when we continued on our trip. Several cave bears thought they would get a meal of horse flesh. None of our horses were even injured. We got to the gates of Riften and stopped in briefly. I wanted to talk to the priest of Mara about my wedding with Elisif briefly.

After the reassurance I received from the priest, it was a quick trip to Fort Dawnguard. But it wasn’t without peril. Apparently Harkon figured we had something, and there were four vampires waiting for us outside the town. They died rather quickly, all things considered, but we dug into our stock of cure disease potions after the encounter just in case.

There was a camp of refugees just outside the walls of the Fort. Celann was outside on watch. I asked her what was going on. “Ah, welcome back. Some people have had more than they can handle with the attacks, and are fearful. They’ve come here for protection. Isran won’t let them into the castle, of course, but they’re safe enough out here.”

We entered the castle to find many of the Dawnguard members sitting down eating lunch. Dexion was there as well, but he had a wrap around his face, covering his eyes. “Dexion, I’ve brought you all of the Elder Scrolls.”

“I’m sorry, my friend, I can no longer be of use in this matter. It’s my fault. In my haste to read the first scroll, I neglected the careful preparation required. I thought I’d be able to allay the after effects, but I was wrong. Now I am paying for it.”

“That covering on your eyes. Then you are...”

“Blind. Yes, I’m afraid so.”

“Can I do anything to help you?”

“No. It will have to run its course, and there’s always the chance I may never recover.”

“Then we’re finished.”

“No, there is another way. The question is, how much are you willing to risk to retrieve Auriel’s Bow?”

“Considering the minor detail that I traveled to the Soul Cairn to get the third Elder Scroll, I think a lot.”

“I can’t guarantee you’ll be free from harm. Becoming blind could be the least of your worries. In any event, scattered across Tamriel are secluded locations known as Ancestor Glades. There’s one in Skyrim, in the Pine Forest. Performing the ritual of the Ancestor Moth within the glade should provide the answers that you seek.”

“What is this ritual?”

“It involves carefully removing the bark from the Canticle Tree, which will in turn attract the Ancestor Moths to you. Once enough of the Moths are following, they’ll provide you with the second sight needed to decipher the scrolls.”

“So how do I carefully remove the bark?”

“In keeping with tradition, you must use a specific tool in the Ancestor Glade, an implement known as a Draw Knife. Every Moth Priest is taught this ritual, but few ever get the chance to perform it. You should consider yourself fortunate if it works for you.”

“Will I need to read the scrolls in any particular order?”

“From what I saw in the vision, the Elder Scroll which foreshadows the defiance of the gods with the blood of mortals is the key to the prophecy.”

“So, how is a moth related to the Elder Scrolls?”

“Well, as I’m sure you’ve figured by now, it’s no mere coincidence we’re called Moth Priests. The voice of the Ancestor Moths has always been an integral part of reading the Elder Scrolls. The moths don’t literally speak, but they maintain a connection to the ancient magics that allow Moth Priests to decipher them. But ... if you listen closely when you find the glade, you should be able to hear their song. A soft, harmonious trilling. It’s through this ancestral chorus that then allows the moths to tap into the celestial augur and allows us to read the scrolls.”

“So how does that help the Moth Priest?”

“By having the Ancestor Moths close to the Moth Priest, they can utilize the conduit and share the moth’s augury. Only the most resilient of priests can do it this way ... it takes years of practice to interpret the harmony.”

“Great. Then how do I even stand a chance?”

“You’ve come this far, and you’ve found several Elder Scrolls. Whether you believe it or not, the Scrolls have a mind of their own. If they did not want you to find them, they would not allow it. Because of this, I strongly believe you were meant to hear the ancestral chorus. Only one way to find out.”

“Thank you, Dexion. I hope your blindness isn’t permanent.” Argis gave me a sharp look when I said that, like he wanted to say something. We went into the other room. “I know what you were thinking just then, Argis. Yes, it’s entirely possible I could have helped Dexion. Then what? You are an honorable man who follows me. He is not. At best he would remain a Moth Priest ... and if he returned to his home in Cyrodiil before we are ready, spreading the tales of a woman who healed because of her love for her people, who was the daughter of the last Septim Emperor ... how many Thalmor do you think would flood Skyrim?”

“You’re right, my Thane. I apologize sincerely for my actions.”

“Shut up and give me a kiss as way of ... yes, Isran, what is it?”

The Redguard had come up while I was explaining things to Argis. “I just received word. There is a threat to the life of Jarl Balgruuf. A vampire is in disguise, visiting the court. I don’t know how much time we have before he acts.”

“We’ll sleep on the trail, taking turns leading. Let’s go.” We ran from the castle, heading for our horses. We rode through the night and most of the next day, arriving in Whiterun right about supper hour. We hurried through the town, to Dragonsreach. I opened the doors to the hall.