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Dragonborn!

Please we need your help!

Save us dragonborn!

You can't just leave!

It's your duty to save us!

Dragonborn ...
 
Dragonborndragonborndragonborndragonborn-
 “STOP IT, SHUT UP!” The young imperial girl cried out as she spang up from her bedroll. Her body was drenched in cold sweat and she felt her stomach clench as she tried to resist the urge to empty it’s insides on the forest’s ground.Her breathing was rapid and uncontrolled as she took in her surroundings. Trees and rocky mountainsides were barely recognisable under the dim light of the moon.The moon.Scarlet and full, the red making it look like it's would start bleeding down unto the earth, pouring down blood upon their meaningless lives. Purification of the sins they committed.That she committed.Her blood feels rotten.The wind picks up and the ashes from the previously burning fire rise and fly into the young girl's brown eyes. She recoils and tries to wipe them away but stops when she hears voices in the distance.“...Dragonborn! Where... you...”Eyes still closed, she feels around for her water can, the enchantment on it keeping the liquid from freezing during Skyrim’s cold nights.Upon touching the rough leather near her makeshift bed, she unscrews the waterskin and dumps part of it's content on top of her short black hair, waking herself up further, rubbing the cold water into her eyes, cleansing the ashes out.  The voices are getting closer. She opens her eyes and destroys the put out fire place by kicking the stones and ashes away until it's unrecognizable from afar.She quickly rolls up her small bedroll and clasps it onto her backpack, after that she puts on the worn thick leather armor that laid next to the bag.The only reminder she had of her life before becoming this wretched dragonborn .When all she had was a group of thieves as family and chests full of jewels to keep her company at night.Now she had this .Literally spending her life running away from fulfilling her destiny. Destiny doesn't exist.Everyone is responsible for his own life, it's not her destiny to help every poor soul who can't stand on their own two legs.She made herself a life from nothing.
And I will do it again once I get to Dawnstar and catch a ride. Maybe Elsweyr, the cold here is starting to get on my nerves.
So why should they get help when she didn't? And she had it worse then them too.The voices are getting clear now.
“Dragonborn!”

“Please come back!”

“You have to help us!”

“You're our only hope!”
They wanted her head on a spike not even a month ago and now she is their hope? Resisting the urge to laugh at the irony, she puts on her backpack and makes her way towards the nearest mountains, her feet sinking deep into the snow once she reaches a trail leading up the side of the mountains.If she remembers correctly she must be near a cave called Dimhollow Ruin or something of the sorts. She made halts there a few times when she had stolen something especially worthy and had to lay low for a few days before moving back to Riften.Moving through the snow she feels the wind pick up once again, making her almost lose her footing.A blizzard. Perfect . The young girl thought as she heard the voices getting lost in the howling winds.Light in the distance made her stop briefly before she resumed her fight against mother nature.She reached the cave moments before the blizzard came in full force. The men would surely have lost her trail in this weather.She picked up a burning torch before entering the dim cave, making sure the search party would not find this place and seek refuge in here like she did.Though her victory was cut short. Beneath her feet were traces of fresh blood.More voices.Low and cruel, like rust on an open wound.She could smell them.Vampires. Two of them.And dogs, death hounds.And a corpse.She knew they found her when their speaking stopped abruptly.  She had been silent, her enchanted boots made sure of that, but they could smell her too .She readied her magic, channelling her inner flames making them almost burst from her hands as she waited for the right moment. One hand laid on the handle of her ebony sword. An enchantment on it made sure to absorb and release her flames for maximum damage.She counted their steps.
One two three four

Five six seven
A few meters left. They were almost rounding the wall where she hid.
Eight

Nine

Ten
Flames burst from the girl in a tornado of heat and fire, making the vampires scream in pain as their skin melted and their clothes burned away. She stood up, encircled by her flames and looking at the agonizing creatures on the floor, one vampire was left a pile of blackened bones while the other was clawing at his face, holes having been burned into his cheeks, leaving teeth and gums exposed to the scorching fire.They fell silent.One of the two hounds was still alive. But the sickening “crack” of his pieced skull ended its suffering.She saw something shine in the ashes of the vampires.Some gems. She gladly took them.The imperial looked at the cave.There was the corpse she smelled laying face down in a puddle of blood.A Vigilant of Stendarr.Good riddance.Moving deeper she saw the closed gate she noticed on her previous stays.This time though, it wasn't silent as she heard more voices coming from there.She could not risk going back out into the blizzard. Besides... She feels the precious stones inside her pockets.Vampires are always loaded. With a smirk she moves to find the lever for the gate. OoO She slayed and burned countless vampires and draugr. Leaving only ashes and embers in her wake, she finally finds a way into the heart of the cave.A strange ruin resided in the distance.She stood on the terrace, overlooking the execution of yet another Vigilante with mild interest. It seemed that these were the higher ranked fiends, she could already feel the treasures between her fingers once she dealt with the vampires.“Hey! What are you doing in here?!”She was spotted.The thralls speech was cut short by a sword impaling his chest. Blood flowing out of his stretched mouth as he tried to breath around the metal in his lungs.The smell of human blood made her instinctively tense up.She doesn't like it.The thralls master came towards her, throwing spells that she easily countered with one of her own.Concentrating, she stops her defensive behaving and switches to offense. Slowly she feels her sword eating up her magic.Absorbing it.They came closer and in a second the world burned .She sliced the air and a wave of blue flames erupted from the sword burning the vampires to ash in seconds. Continuing the assault, her foes were gone with the wind in moments. Leaving molten gold and hot gems to fall upon the ground.She picked up the gems, the heat not affecting her.The flames were a part of her, why would they hurt?Looking up from her crouched position she then moves to the strange structure across the bridge.The air seemed heavier here.She walks up to the pedestal in front of her.She senses magic coming from it.Putting her hand upon the stone she wasn't prepared for the spike that cut through her flesh and bones.“Gyahh!” The imperial screamed in pain as she felt her blood get sucked into the stone. She ripped off her hand and the steel spike moved back into the stone.The ground moved.Light erupts from the cracks in the floor.Furrowing her brows in curiosity she notices one of the pillars suddenly burning with a light violet flame.She looks at the others around her, her bleeding hand clenched in pain.She wasn't a healer.In fact she could only use flames as magic.Though they never felt like magic to her.She pushes one of the pillars to her left towards the pedestal.It lit up.And so she spend the next hour moving the pillars until the same purple flames erupted from them.She didn't expect what happened next.She hoped for treasure.Maybe a legendary sword or piece of armor having been put away by one of the gods.  But certainly not a woman .Most certainly not a vampire. She didn't move to catch the girl as she fell on her knees.Her clothes were of royalty.But that wasn't important.The Elder scroll that she carried...That's what caught the imperials attention.She barely caught what the woman said once she regained her footing.“You're not like me... what are you doing here, werewolf?” The hoarse voice said, though there was no true malice in her tone. Only distrust and curiosity.The wolf smirked. 
This will be interesting.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The moment Serana opened her eyes she smells blood.
But not just any blood.

The blood of a werewolf.

Mixed with something else.

Her mouth watered.

Werewolf blood was seen as a treat for vampires. Even if their smell itself was dreadful, their blood was highly demanded by higher ranked vampires, like her father.

But this blood had something else that made it most irresistible. She couldn't put her finger on it.

She fell to her knees.

Her gaze meeting the dust covered ground as she struggles to regain her footing. The air was heavy, making her dizzy as she straightened herself to face her

savior

properly.

Curious brown eyes looked back at her, calculating almost. Lightly tanned skin was barely recognisable in the dim cave and black hair fell over her piercing eyes. It was short, very short, in fact she would have mistaken her for a man if it wasn't for her superior eyesight. Earrings, two left and one right, clearly from Elsweyr though the woman was herself an imperial, no doubt.

The boyish stranger had an interesting armor, blackish leather, and many pockets, surely a thief. She remembers the old thieves guild having slightly similar armor. They had tried countless times to steal treasures from her father, back before her mother locked her away.

Mother.

The elder scroll felt very heavy all of a sudden.

She had to say something.

“You're not... like me. What are you doing here werewolf?” Serana kept her eyes on the girl, trying to notice any signs of aggression or reaction in general in the imperial.

Her eyes went up to the scroll on her back for a second before falling back down to gaze into the vampire's eyes.

A wolfish grin set itself upon her features.

“Well... I'm certainly

not like you

. Were you expecting someone in particular?” The girl's voice was almost playful, making the vampire's eyes narrow dangerously. Something is wrong with her she was certain.

“Someone like me at least.” Her statement had a cold edge to it, the tone made the girl's grin widen, making way to sharp teeth.

“Sorry to disappoint. If it interests you, your little... friends,

did

seem eager to see you. Though my presence was... unwanted.” The wolf said, while her bloodied hand was playing with the hilt of her worn down sword.

The smell made the vampire's breath hitch.

The wolf grinned.

She knew the effect her blood had on the vampire. So she carelessly let the blood from her wound, flow down and seep into the stone and dirt at her feet.

“Friends? What do you mean?” Serana asked, her throat still feeling dry. The dripping blood of the wolf made her lick her lips.

She couldn't see who the girl was talking about. She hands started to itch, wanting to grab the imperial by the neck and force the answers out of her.

“Oh yes, though I could not show you who, even if I wanted too.” The wolf turned to look behind her and Serana followed her gaze, and she frowned.

Ashes.

Silence stretched out. The wolf's sword hits the ground softly as she gently pushes the murderous weapon back and forth as it hung lowly from her hip, the sound echoes across the walls and becomes a dangerous melody while the vampire chooses her next line.

“Who send you?” The wolf's melody stops like a lute’s string snapping in the middle of a song.

They stare each other down, shoulders tense and fingers twitching in anticipation for a fight.

The wolf's shoulders relax and a lazy shrug is given before the tapping resumes.

“No one send me. I stumbled in here to escape the weather outside, surprisingly the snow is really hard to get used to, even after years of living in this land. But well, beats rotting back in Cyrodiil I guess.” The imperial said with a small smile, an honest one this time, and Serana frowned at the girl.

What... why is she even telling me this? Is she insane...?

She was getting impatient and she was still very much confused over what to do now.

Did her mother abandon her?

Did the stranger wake her up for naught?

She had to go back home.

“Listen... I don't care who you are, or what you were doing in here. I just need to get back home.” The imperials eyes narrow at the vampire.

“Oh?”

Her voice had lost all of its playfulness and has gone cold just like her eyes.

Serana tried to keep herself from showing any reaction.

“Let me guess...

princess.

Little vampire girl doesn't know the way back to her coffin? Well what a shame, I don't do charity. I already got you out of this grave of yours without gutting you like the other bloodsuckers I met in here, so consider that my daily act of kindness.” And with that the girl walks towards an ash pile a few feet away from Serana, bending down and palming the burned remains until she finds a golden ring and a ruby.

Blowing off the ash she pockets them.

With a small smirk she turns to the vampire who has been watching her intently the whole time.

Her smile drops.

“What? Are you mad

princ-”

“Stop calling me that. My name is Serana.” The vampire wasn't sure why she told her her name but it seemed to surprise the werewolf too, she quickly covered up her small slip up though.

“Is that so? Well

Serana

... why are you still standing there? I thought you had a home to get back too?”

Mocking a vampire.

She is insane alright.

“I need your help.” She said courtly, leaving no place for arguments, but of course...

“Shame. Get in line.”

Serana was on top of her in seconds, pinning her down with her inhuman strength, her eyes showing untold threats.

The wolf didn't resist. In fact she hardly even reacted.

“You

will

help me,

or else.

”

“Or else what?”

The stupid grin was back.

She thought about her snapping her neck.

Her left hand started to heat up.

The heat turned into

pain.

Hissing she jumps away from the girl and holds her burned hand in shock.

“Man! You nords are all so

forward

, court me properly first!” The girl said with a chuckle, from her spot on the ground. Serana responded with a glare.

More silence.

“Why shouldn't I kill you Serana.” The line was said like a comment on the weather.

Serana knew the girl wasn't bluffing, and slowly, her hand starts to heal itself.

“Kill me and you killed one vampire-”

“An especially annoying one.”

A glare.

“But if you get me back you will discover that something bigger is going on. Something that might mean the end of life as you know it.”

The woman tensed up again, her eyes showing fiery rage. Anger was dripping from what she said next.

“Stop this

end of the life you know

crap. I didn't get away from this nonsense only to be thrown back into it by some random damsel in distress.” The words were dripping with venom and Serana thought she would attack her right there and then.

“I don't know what you're talking about... But I might have something else that might interest you.”

The wolf's eyes look up to rest on the golden scroll on the vampires back.

“

Not

the scroll... but I saw you pick up those jewels before. I can make sure you get as many as an elder scroll might be worth.” This got the wolf's attention.

“But for that... I have to get you home?” The imperial said, her hand resting on her hip.

“Yes.”

“What if I kill you and just

take

the scroll?”

“Would you?”

Water rushes in the distance.

A sigh.

“Where do you need to go?”

Serana smirks.

“A small island near Solitude. That's where my father should be.” The last part was more or less aimed at herself.

She knew the risk, but she didn't know what else she could do.

“You’re lucky, I needed to get to a port anyways prin- Serana.” The imperial moved to get back up but was met with a pale hand in front of her face.

A peace offering.

She chuckles before slapping it in the familiar way she used to do with her guild friends.

She misses those jerks.

Serana only frowns in offense as her hand gets hit, while the girl gets back up on her feet.

The imperial notices the vampires confused stare and smiles slightly.

“And old thing I used to do with my group, it's no provocation, don't worry.”

She doesn't get a reply.

The imperial looks around the cave.

“So... any idea how to get out of here?”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

No... no... no...nonononono

Not this shit again.
The imperial stood in front of the stone wall, the words and signs making her dizzy the longer she looks at them.The word glows and she almost chokes on her own breath.She doesn't want this.Her stomach lurches and her palms grow sweaty.A hand on her shoulder shakes her.She can't look away.The word brands itself into her soul. She falls down, her knees buckling under her weight.The hand was now holding her upper body up.Distant shouting and then pain. Her cheek burns and her eyes snap open even though they were already wide and unfocused to begin with.Serana is at her side.Right.They were fighting skeletons.She glances around, corpses are decorating the steps of the room, ice spikes and blue flames were now part of the undead's bodies.The wall stopped her in her tracks as she fought one of the fiends, her side feels wet.Blood.She got distracted and hit in the process. The vampire saved her.The vampire that was still shouting at her.“What the hell was that supposed to be?! One moment you're destroying the bonemen and then you stop to look at a wall ? Look at what happened! You got a damn arrow in your side!”Indeed the old wood was lodged in her flesh.The vampire must have a hard time resisting the smell of her blood.
I'm really not making this easy for her huh?
“Are you even listening?!”“Yes.” Had her voice always been this soft? “I'm listening. It's hard not to when you shout into my ear.”She was met with an irritated sigh.“Do you have a potion with you, you joker?”With a strained grin the werewolf nods.“Backpack, left pouch. The red bottle.”Serana had to rip the arrow out first.A small ‘sorry’ was the last thing the wolf heard before she was met with white hot pain.Serana immediately holds the potion to her lips making the girl swallow the bitter liquid as she held back tears.“Thank you.”They left the cave without addressing what happened again. OoO The imperial was sitting near the fireplace while Serana looked over her wound, making sure the potion closed it completely.The wolf was still confused over why she fretted over it so much, but she thought that it was because she had to get her home and she couldn't lose her guide. Yet at least.They chose to rest for the night, finding a secluded cave previously inhabited by an angry troll, and starting a fire after putting down the bedroll.They had to share it tonight, the wolf said she would get Serana one once they reached Dawnstar in the morning.The vampire was surprised at the girl's sudden friendliness. Agreeing to share a bedroll with a vampire? The girl was truly a nutcase. Maybe it was the promise of gold that drove her, Serana didn't care.The wind was still ruthless but the snowing let up a bit, though it would still shield the two women from sight if someone would pass by in the distance.The wolf heated up a piece of meat she had in her backpack over the fire, she knew it would be useless to ask the vampire if she wanted some.She knew what she desired.She still glanced at her hand, even after she washed the blood away.“You’re hungry too huh.”Serana seemed startled by the statement, keeping her gaze glued on the fire.A fire that seemed so weak compared the the wolf's flames.“I'm fine. I'll find a bandit or something in the morning.”The wolf didn't seem convinced.“You saved my life. I wouldn't mind if you drank some from me. Just enough so keep you going until tomorrow.”Serana turned towards her in utter surprise.She would let her...
Why?
“Why?” She didn't mean to say it out loud.“You helped me. So I'll help you. Ear for an ear or whatever.” She looks away, looking nonchalant.She was anything but. What has gotten into me... Is it this Seduction thing vampires have that make me do this? She wasn't sure why she would let her drink from her blood, werewolves that did that out of their own free will, were seen as disgraces and were sent into exile. Well I’m already both of them, so guess i have nothing to lose. Besides if I can gain her trust maybe I'll be able to get the gold and the scroll... she seems like royalty too, her home must be loaded... With that thought the girl made her choice.Gain her trust first, and then take the scroll and all of her treasures.“You don't have to... and I believe its eye for an eye.”“Whatever. It's fine. Just don't overdo it. I already lost some today.” She jokes already counting the jewels on the elder scroll next to her.Next to Serana.“If you're completely sure-”“Just do it!” The imperial said opening the buttons of her armor to roll the sleeve up and takes off her glove, exposing her bare wrist to the cold air.Exposing it to Serana.The vampire swallows hard.“Alright... I'll make it as painless as I possibly can... thank you.”“Just hurry up, it's cold you know.”A pale hand went to rest on her elbow, the other took her wrist gently, feeling the pulse quicken considerably.The wolf's breath hitches when cold lips came into contact with her skin.And then teeth.They sunk into her flesh gently, like a pirate being dragged to the bottom of the sea by a singing mermaid.The wolf had to bite her lips to stay silent.It didn't hurt.In the contrary. It felt nice .
I've lost my mind, it's official... no come on, it's just the treasure that messes with your mind.
The sensation was over way too quickly, and wet tongue licked away any drop that escaped, the imperial was convinced she only wanted to make her squirm even more under her.“Are you alright?” The vampire asked, sounding just as breathless as the wolf.“Y-Yeah.” She curses herself for stuttering.Serana moves away slowly and watches the flames, the girls taste still on her tongue. The wolf covered her hand, and bitten wrist, up again.This wasn't normal blood. It tasted better than the one of an average werewolf.More silence issued.Until...“What's your name?”The wolf laid down on the bedroll, Serana would stay guard for a few more hours placing some runes around them.Silence.Leaves are dancing with the wind.“Arslan. Arslan Ignis.” She fell asleep with a tingle in her wrist, to dreams of treasure and scrolls.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“How can you

stand

the sun... Its unbearable...”

Serana has been complaining about the blazing sun ever since the two went back on the road. Arslan was keen on ignoring the girl's constant complaining at first, but she slowly felt herself give in to her temper. Turning around to face the vampire woman currently dragging her feet through the deep snow, her hood shielding her from the unforgiving heat of the sun, the wolf held back thoughts of murder.

Think about the gold... think about the gems...

The young woman recites these thoughts like a prayer in order to keep her nerves in check.

“You know what else in unbearable? Your

complaining.

And besides, to answer your previous question, the sun doesn't bother me because I'm not a

vampire.

” The Imperial shot back as she tried to get her foot out of a particularly deep patch of snow.

The remark earned her a dirty look from said vampire.

They kept walking in silence for a bit longer and Serana was growing restless. She had been asleep for years and wakes up to a new world, and the one person she meets is a greedy werewolf, completely inadequate of keeping a proper conversation.

The young girl abruptly stopped in the middle of the path, making Serana look at her tense form in confusion.

“What is it? Why did we sto-”

“Shut up.” Came the short reply, interrupting the vampire. She would have been annoyed by it but she swallowed back any remark as she suddenly heard a noise in the distance.

A roar.

A very

loud

roar.

“What the hell is that...?” The vampire could feel the ground shaking as the continuous shouts became louder.

Whatever beast it was, it was coming closer.

Serana looked at the werewolf for any signs of reaction, and for the first time since she got her out of her coffin the werewolf was indeed showing a sort of emotion.

Fear.

Arslan's eyes were glued to the sky, her entire body was trembling and her hands were turning white by the sheer force of her hands making fists. Serena was worried. What was that beast, that it could make her shake and tremble like a terrified child?

She tried to call out her name, but the wolf paid no mind. She kept her eyes to the sky.

That's when Serana could see

it.

A dragon flying in the distance.

A

dragon.

She was sure that dragon's were still all dead last time she checked.

The beast wasn't coming their way. In fact it seemed to head North, right where they were supposed to go.

It headed towards Dawnstar.

Serana forgot to how breath for a bit.

What should they do? Should they still go? Should they

help?

If they ran they could get there in time...

She looked at Arslan for advice but the girl was now staring at the ground, her fists still trembling though this time, it was in held in anger.

“...change of plans. We head towards Morthal.” Without another word, the girl turned and walked into the woods, straying from the path. Serana was still too shocked to say anything.

The silence didn't last for long.

“Wait a moment!” The vampire stopped and took the wolf by the shoulder making her turn around with expressionless eyes. The snow was falling through the barren trees, landing on her hair and getting stuck on her eyelashes. But the girl didn't move nor did she blink, it seemed like she was completely out of her body. That made Serana insanely uncomfortable, why was she so calm of all a sudden?

“What is it?”

“What do you mean ‘What is it?’! There was a

dragon

over there! They are supposed to be extinct! And it was heading right toward Dawnstar!”  Serana was losing her cool. Was this girl

mad?!

“Yeah so?” The girl arched an eyebrow as if the vampire just made sure that two plus two equals four. It made her even more furious.

“What do you mean “Yeah so?” ?! We have to do something!” The snow continued to fall over the pair as silence issued, the vampire's voice echoing through the woods.

“...do something?” The wolf mumbles before looking down onto the white ground. Her feet several inches deep within the snow.

Serana questioningly looked at Arslan, as the girl's shoulders started to shake lightly.

She started laughing uncontrollably. Like a madwoman, her chuckles made the vampire flinch. Serana stared at the crackling girl, not knowing what to do, so she waited until the laughter stopped.

It did.

The air felt heavier and the silence was deafening, Serana shifted her footing just to hear the snow crunching beneath her boots. Then Arslan spoke.

“You want to do

something

? Well go right ahead! Go and chase after it! I'm sure he would

love

a century old vampire as a snack. While you do that, I'll be on my merry way

Princess.

” The wolf said, her tone holding that mocking edge once again and Serana frowns at the girl's words. Especially at the last one.

“Don't act high and mighty with me. I saw you tremble like a child at his sight, you were scared. You coward.” Serana shot back and Arslan immediately recoiled at her words before aggressively moving a step towards the vampire. Before she could open her mouth they were interrupted by a loud roar once again.

The two immediately stopped and looked towards the direction the noise came from.

Dawnstar.

Through the trees, in the distance they could see smoke and ashes rising towards the sky. Serana could hear screams of terror and she knew that Arslan could too. Having advanced hearing turned out to be a curse, as they listened to the echoing shouts of people fighting for their lives and loved ones.

Arslan ripped her eyes away from the rising cloud first, but Serana couldn't stop her gaze from staying glued upon the scene happening in the distance. The snow on her frozen form felt like the ashes of the victims falling upon her as less and less voices resonated across the woods.

She was shaken from her trance as Arslan put a hand on her shoulder. Turning around she was taken aback by the look in the young girl's eyes.

Sadness, grief, pain,

anger.

All these emotions flashed through her hazel eyes like a deadly tornado. And just as fast as they came, they passed.

The hand fell from her shoulder and suddenly, it felt much heavier without it.

“Let's go.”

Serana followed without a word this time. Feeling her feet dragging themselves through the ashes of Dawnstar.

Arslan never felt a stronger hate for fire than in that moment, walking, back turned to the city.

Back turned to the orphan boy she once promised to teach how to crack open a lock and with whom she spent countless hours out at sea, fishing and telling stories of her exploits with her trusty guild.

Back turned towards the boy she swore to take in one day.

She felt the rot flowing through her being once again.

A rotten dragon's soul.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

It was nighttime by now.

They hadn't stopped their journey ever since the sighting of the dragon. Serana had long since given up on asking the wolf about the previous encounter, choosing to stay behind, quietly pondering about the events that have unfolded.

The wolf was clearly in it for the treasure, or rather her scroll, but she could see that something else was troubling the girl ever since their sudden change of plans. Arslan was walking some ways in front of her, the night had already fallen and so her figure was only illuminated by a weak burning torch. Why she didn't use her magic instead was a mystery to the vampire.

I have seen enough fire for today anyways...

The wolf had been silent the whole way, only stopping to ask if the vampire was craving blood when they passed near bandit camps. Other then that, she was completely engulfed in her thoughts, so much in fact, that she had led them down wrong paths a few times.

Arslan was oblivious to the red glowing eyes that were trained on her, continuing to make her way through the trees that were dancing with the wind.

She felt numb.

Correction.

She

wished

to feel numb.

Thoughts were racing in her mind, making her head hurt and her breathing uneven. She tried to use the breathing technique that Karliah taught her in case she ever got caught and started to lose her cool and starts to hyperventilate. The imperial regretted how she laughed that time, telling her that she would never. She was so cocky back then...

Man, she misses her. All of them.

Her breathing got worse. Faster. Shorter.

The vampire was aware, but she stayed where she was, letting the girl have her space, for now.

Arslan was starting to feel lightheaded. She had been travelling for days without more than a few hours of rest every night, having been up before daybreak to ensure that no guard or bounty hunter would find her and force her back into her role...

Dragonborn.

She wasn't

Dragonborn.

She was an exiled wolf, a street

dog

that got a knack for opening locks and picking pockets.

She was a coward. A coward that couldn't even save a little boy from the one thing she was

destined

to slay.

No. Not

destined.

She didn't have a

destiny.

Right?

The wolf was more out of it then she thought.

The trees started to get blurry.
One leg gave out, then the second one. She couldn't stop herself from falling face first into the snow in front of her. The torch hissing as it fell into the cold, plunging the imperial in complete darkness. The icy snow stung her skin as she desperately tried to catch her breath. It didn't matter, she felt like no matter how deeply she breathes, no air reaches her lungs.
They felt like they were on fire.

She almost laughed at the irony.

Serana was at her side in an instance.

Two glowing eyes surrounded by darkness were the last thing Arslan saw before hers fell close.

The vampire looked at her unconscious travel companion. They had locked eyes before the younger girl passed out. They had been frantic and unfocused, like the ones of a wild animal.

How fitting.

She had heard her breathing slowly building up, until she went into a state of hyperventilating. She knew that trying to offer help would only be met with resistance. She didn't take long to notice her unmatched stubbornness.

So she waited until the inevitable happened.

The wolf collapsed.

And now she debated over helping her.

She left the people of Dawnstar to their demise. She should meet the same fate.

Deep down, Serana knew it was untrue. But she couldn't help but feel anger towards the girl.

As well as herself. She could have gone alone. But she didn't. She was also at fault.

But she still wanted to abandon the wolf. Let her freeze to death and move on, she would take her map before that, and find her way home by herself. She knew the girl was looking to steal the scroll, she could tell after their first few hours together. The greed filled glances when she thought the vampire wasn't looking. Calculating eyes counting the precious stones embedded into the gold, whenever the vampire walked ahead of her.

But... she also noticed the saddened gaze Aslan would have as she looked into the burning flames of her torch, the familiar pain that came with remembering memories of a life that once was, flashing behind hazel eyes as she touched the edges of an old and dull dagger she carried on her weathered armor.

Whatever she ran away from, it wasn't by choice. At least, completely.

She made up her mind.

Serana crouched next to the wolf before effortlessly heaving her up into her arms.

She made her way into a nearby cave.

She wouldn't let her die.

For now.

oOo
When Arslan opened her eyes, she was met with shadows dancing on the ceiling of a cave. A crackling fire illuminated her as she slowly got into a seated position.

A cave...?

The imperial thought as she looked around the dark space.

How did I...

“Careful. I don't want you passing out

again.

” The stern voice almost made Arslan jump out of the bedroll she was on.

She blinked.

She had been tucked into a bedroll, albeit messy, but still, she was warm.

Looking around she sees the vampire sitting on the other side of the fire, nose buried in one of the few books she took with her. Her open bag is discarded to her side, a few item sticking out of the cramped space.

She went through my stuff...

Annoyance soon let way to confusion.

She brought me here?

She realised that she hasn't answered yet.

“I...” She hesitated. “Thank you."

She didn't know what else to say. She was sure the vampire would leave her behind. Maybe strip her of her gear like the wolf had done herself with so many others before.

She clawed at the skin on her arms.

She felt the rot in them again.

“Couldn't leave my guide behind like that.”

The vampire said, not looking up from the book once.

Yes, you could have.

Arslan thought but chose to hold her tongue.

A tense silence hung in the air.

“What are you reading?”

The wolf was surprise at the words that left her mouth. She knew exactly which book it was, she read it many times herself when she was still a stranger to this land, and still she asked, only to make conversation.

The cold must have gotten to her head.

She could count on her hands the number of times she started the conversations between the two.

Serana seemed just as surprised but quickly rules her expression to hide it.

“A brief resume on Skyrim's history, I hope you don't mind me borrowing it?”

“No, go ahead.”

No more words were spoken between the two. Aslan started to count the steady sound of water dripping upon stone. She was by thirty three when Serana spoke up again.

“Tell me, who is Skyrim’s current high king? This is all interesting, but it lacks current information.” She said closing the book and putting it down next to her.

Arslan chuckles dryly before responding.

“That's actually a matter for debate.”

Serana grinned at that.

“Great, a war of succession. And who are the contenders?”

“The Empire supports Elisif but many think of Ulfric as the true High King.”

“Empire?” Serana looked at Arslan, confusion written all over her face. “What Empire?”

“

The

Empire. From Cyrodiil?” Serana's eyes widened in disbelief.

“Cyrodiil is the seat of an empire? I must have been gone longer than I thought... definitely longer than planned.” The  wolf caught on to the last part.

“Planned?” Arslan asked before she could stop herself. “What do you mean?”

Serana frowned, she didn't think that she said that out loud.

“I... I don't think I can tell you. It shouldn't come to a surprise that I don't trust you quite yet.” The wolf only nodded at Serana.

“Understandable, it's not like we had a smooth start either.” Arslan said with a grim smile, thinking back to how they met in Dimhollow.

“Indeed, it left much to be desired.” Serana shot back and Arslan smirks as she picks up the playful undertone.

“What? Am I not the knight in shining armor you hoped for?” The vampire chuckles before responding, shadows dancing over her features.

“Well, I wouldn't say i was expecting much when I first saw you. I figured you were the pet of one of the vampires, that went to free me.” Serana said, a mischievous twinkle in her red eyes.

Arslan gasped in fake offense, leaning forward and pointing to the vampire that sat across the fire.

“I am

no

pet. I am the mighty Arslan Ignis! Master thief of gold and jewels as well as young maidens hearts!” The wolf said jokingly, making a grand gesture of passing a hand through her short and messy hair shooting a charming (at least she tried) look towards the vampire.

The vampire gave her a blank stare.

The fire’s crackles fill the silence.

And then laughter. Serana was chuckling, putting a hand to her mouth and soon Arslan joined in.

Calming down from the laughter, the vampire went to respond mockingly;

“Well I'm

convinced

that anyone would fall for such a

charmer

. I can barely resist myself.”

“Ouch, no need to hurt a gal’s ego.” Arslan smirked, feigning a hurt look.

“Well I thin-” Serana was about to respond when a growl resonates in the small cave.

The two got up immediately, taking a fighting stance. Aslan and Serana channelled their magicka into open palms, the raw power could be felt in the air.

“Serana... did you clear the cave before bringing us in?” The wolf asked, keeping her voice low as she heard heavy footsteps coming from where the entry to the shelter was situated.

“It was empty when I got you in here...” Serana said back, her voice barely above a whisper. “I walked around outside to make sure no one was there, seems like we’re not alone after all.”

The growling became louder, and the two got their weapons and magic ready for whatever was about to come out of the shadows.

A troll.

A

frost

troll.

And the beast did not seem happy to see the uninvited guests that made residence in its home.

Arslan cursed out loud before launching a fireball in its direction. The beast screamed in pain as it’s skin burned and melted from the heat, it's cries making Serana wince before she too, launched an ice spike of her own.

The piece of ice implanted itself into the troll's shoulder ripping its flesh, tainting its white fur red. The monster growled before charging towards the vampire.

Serana wasn't prepared for the heavy beast as it flung itself on her, its claws inches away from her face. She was trapped under the frost demon and helplessly tried to hold it back from ripping her flesh right of the bone, but even at such a time, she did notice that her scoll was missing from her back. The relics leather strap must have snapped when the troll attacked the nord as it now laid a few feet from a frozen Arslan.

The girl's wide eyes went from the vampire to the scroll at her feet.

“Ar- Ugh Arslan!” Serana screamed as she felt her supernatural strength give out. The trolls fangs were inches from her contorted face as she tried to hold him back with all her might. “Help me!”

The wolf couldn't move.

She could take the scroll, get to Solitude and catch the next ship to a new life. The price people would be willing to pay for the relic would make sure she never would have to steal another septim ever again.

But that would mean leaving the vampire to die.

The vampire she just met. The vampire she is constantly annoyed by. The vampire that saved her from freezing to death outside. The vampire that bantered with her just a minute ago.

The cave seemed to close in on the wolf, the rocky and humid walls suffocating her until she felt like she would drown in air.

She had betrayed people before.

It wouldn't be a first for her to take advantage of these kind of situations, in fact a few years ago she wouldn't have thought twice about getting the scroll and fleeing the scene, leaving the poor soul that had trusted her at the mercy of whatever already had its claws in them, by the time she found the next Hold.

But now...

It would mean to lose

everything

.

She lost her guild, her

family

as well as her home and even...

Alesan

She would be all alone. Again.

Just like that time... after my exile...

“Arslan!” The vampire uttered her name again

It was a plea and a warning all at once.

The wolf made her choice.

She grabbed the scroll and Seranas eyes widen in terror, betrayal shone on her face as she watches the girl leave her line of sight.

She really chose... of course she did. That thief was after it the whole time after all.

In her moment of vulnerability, she let her hold on the beats charred arm lessen. The nord screamed in pain as one of the trolls claws cut into her shoulder, ripping the cloth and exposing pale, split skin. The blood seeped into the dirt and the vampire cursed as the claws dug deeper into her flesh.

This is it...

Serana thought she she felt her grip on the beast weaken.

I'm going to die here. Betrayed by a no good thief.

The vampire would have laughed at her own stupidity if she wasn't in such intense pain.

What did I expect from someone who left a whole city to burn?

She could feel the trolls hot breath on her face, as she readied herself for what came next.

The bite never came.

But a certain weightlessness did.

A earthshaking howl resonated in the smallish cave and in a moment the weight and claws that were previously crushing her were gone.

Red eyes widened at the sight before her.

A werewolf, with fur in a deep blackish brown tone, and the same piercing hazel eyes that Serana had cursed moments before, had tackled the demon off of her.

The imperial was now wrestling the troll some feet away from the nord, and Serana couldn't believe her eyes.

In her grip was the elder scroll, which she held against the trolls neck, using it to hold the beast's snapping maw away from her. The vampire held her bleeding shoulder as she watched the fight in awe.

She didn't leave?

She glanced at the scroll.

She took it to fight...?

The wolf was growling as it pushed harder and harder, putting as much weight upon the troll's neck as it could, Serana could see blue veins next to black coal getting crushed by the golden scroll, until the beast gradually stopped resisting. The trolls bone breaking grip on the werewolf loosened and finally, the beast stilled.

It was over.

The wolf looked at the dead troll and took the scroll from it's bulky neck. A dent was clearly to be seen on the leathery skin but the elder scroll didn't even have a scratch.

“Arslan...” Serana uttered her name softly, still gripping her wound, wincing when she applied to much pressure to the gashes. “Argh...!”

The wolf turned around immediately, after hearing her groan in pain.

She slowly neared the vampire.

The air in the cave reeked of blood and burned skin, but the two ignored the pungent smell as they locked eyes.

Arslan made the first move.

The wolf put the scroll near Serana’s feet, giving it back to it's owner, before slowly approaching the hurt nord.

Serena didn't chose to move, her arm was still gushing blood upon her garments and upon the moss that lined the cave's floor.

The wolf then smelled the wound before whimpering slightly, the beast's ears flat on her head, in a sign of shame. She wasn't fast enough, the vampire got hurt.

Serana caught on.

“It's fine... it's just a scratch, I just need some rest.” The vampire assures Arslan and the wolf peaked up a bit at that before nudging the woman up with her snout, being careful with her claws as to not accidentally injure the woman further. Serana chose to not say anything, letting herself be lead by the wolf.

The vampire got up, leaning heavily into the furry beast at her side as she led her slowly towards the campfire, setting her down upon a bedroll.

The wolf threw some more wood into the weak fire, reviving the embers, before moving to stay some feet away from the hurting vampire.

Serana was out of breath, it has been a while since she had to rely on pure vampiric strength.

She was really out of shape.

“Haha you...” She winces, and the wolf's eyes went to her wound once again. “You didn't leave...”

Serana knew that the transformed girl couldn't respond, but she still couldn't hold her surprise back.

The wolf growled before looking at the fire.

Even in this form she's still stubborn huh?

With a chuckle Serana closes her eyes.

Maybe her companion wasn't just a good for nothing thief after all.

Just maybe.

She fell asleep, not noticing the wolf watching her intensely, from the other side of the burning fire.

For once her gaze didn't linger on the scroll but rather, on its keeper.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The wolf made sure that the vampire was asleep and that the flames were burning bright before slowly making her way towards the dead beast on the ground. The troll was still reeking of blood and charred flesh, and she was certain that Serana wouldn't want to wake up to such a horrid smell. She would have gagged herself, would she not have been already used to the scent of ashes mixed with blood.Using her beastly strength, she threw the corpse over her back, growling as she felt the blood flow on her while she carried the beast out of the cave and into the cold woods outside. She made sure to drop carcass off far enough, before heading back to the shelter. Snow dropped heavily on her, turning pink as it came in contact with her bloodied fur. It was almost pretty, in a morbid way.The wind started to pick up, and quickly the once gently dancing snowflakes began to aggressively cloud her vision in a cacophony of white and ice. The wolf kept going, her steps quickly vanishing under new layers of snow. Paying no mind to the weather, she thought back to what happened... with Serana.She actually chose her.For the first time she actually decided to save someone else rather than her own hide or even some shiny treasure.The muscles in her back tense at the realisation. What has gotten into her? This anger she felt that had made her blood pump faster and faster, the rage that consumed her at the sight of the trolls claws, inches away from disfiguring Serana's face... This hate that had caused her bones to crack under the pressure of changing into her inner wolf.Right. She actually transformed.She only ever did it twice ever since her exile from her pack.One time during her fight against Mercer Frey, as a last resort, and one time during a blood moon.Even though the second one happened, more or less, against her will.She could still hear the towns peoples frightened screams and the guards angry shouts, ordering to “ put that damn dog down!”. Speaking of fright and anger...The wolf thought back; The look of pure betrayal the vampire showed when she reached for the scroll still had her fur stand up on her neck.Suddenly the wolf felt much colder, a kind of freezing that isn't caused by Skyrim's merciless weather.Why did she feel that way?They aren't supposed to get along in the first place! That's not how things work between vampires and werewolves!But then again... she never really got along with her kind either.In fact, the term lone wolf never was very far off for her. Even with a whole guild behind her, the girl mostly kept to herself, as did many in her gang. Their friendship and bond went unspoken, but they knew, deep down, that they were a family in the end.Maybe whatever this is will go unspoken as well, though she doubted it.The vampire didn't strike her like the type to leave things unsaid.She let out a huff close to a laugh as she fought her way through the wind.She was back in the cave just before the storm came in full force, the entry was already covered in a thick layer of snow and Arslan hoped that they wouldn't be stuck here the whole night. They had to keep moving. Having already lost daylight because of her unnecessary collapse, they would have to wait until dawn to move again. She wouldn't have minded travelling in the dark, but the vampire wasn't as familiar with the creatures the lurk in the shadows as she was, furthermore, she still needed to heal. A few hours, at least.She could see the vampire on her bedroll, a small pool of blood having soaked the fabric of the soft leather. She knew that the vampire wouldn't have a problem healing the wounds, but she still felt the guilt eating away at her.She should have been faster, but she hadn't transformed in a long time, and the unfamiliar pain of her bones breaking and mending had her distracted from her goal.She notices that she should probably take her human form again, though the girl was in no way looking forward to that. But then again, she despises this body. The raw power she felt in every muscle of her deformed silhouette and the deep desire to hunt kept her from feeling any sense of control over herself. So she decided to move to the far side of the dimly lit cave, far from the resting vampire.Taking deep breaths she tried to chase away her inner wolf. She could feel the beast trying to resist, begging her to give in to the call of the hunt. With a low growl she managed to control it and slowly, she felt her bones break again and recess into their original form, she would have howled in pain but instead, Arslan bit her cheek until the taste of iron was thick on her tongue while she endured the torturous  transformation.With a gasp she falls to her knees and hands. Her breathing is harsh and the blood in her veins is on fire. Taking some time to catch her breath again, she feels a shiver run down her spine. The cold was anything but gentle on her naked skin. Looking for something to cover herself with she sees shredded leather lying on the ground some ways away from her.Tired brown eyes widen at the sight.
No...
It was her guild master armor.She almost felt like screaming as she took the torn apart cloth into her hands, the cold forgotten as she ran her thumb over the guild emblem on one of the broken pieces. So she sat there, not sure if hours or mere minutes had passed by her.Skin and mind going numb, she cradled the remains of the life she left behind. OoO Serana didn't expect the sight that graced her upon waking up. Indeed, as she gained consciousness she noticed a few things right away, like the dulled pain in her shoulder, the warmth of the fire next to her, and more importantly the nude figure sitting some ways away, facing away from her.Silently the vampire got up, and upon nearing Arslan she saw familiar black leather hanging limply from her fingers like silk flowing from a maiden's dress.Serana knew that the armor was more than just some protection from the harsh weather or from the dull weapons that would try to pierce through the girl.No. No simple armor would have earned all the nostalgic looks, the melancholic touches when it was grazed by a rogue swing from a bandits rusted sword and be griefed over like it is now.Now only a few steps behind her, she could see the young girl's normally tan skin having turned a sickly purple due to the cold, and she wondered for how long she had stayed like this. But what had her hair stand on edge, were the numerous scars that littered her matt skin, like leaves in the wind, claw marks went from her toned upper back to her ribs. The vampire didn't have to check her front to see that they went on.She knew that every adventurer had their fair share of scars, but these didn't come from a fair fight. The wounds varied between marks made by  full grown beasts to smaller ones, like the ones of a small cub. The vampire stared at the naked skin for a long time, briefly asking herself what could have happened for her to be attacked by so many different individuals and wondering, what it would be like to sink her teeth into the lean muscle on her neck.A bit ashamed of her thoughts, she decides to train her gaze on the wall to her right while she took off her travelling cloak. It wouldn't do much to cover the wolf, but it would have to do for now. She didn't know if she gave it in order to cover the girl from the cold, or to shield her from the looks the vampire would give her otherwise.Gently she draped the thin leather over the still girl, before kneeling next to her, attempting to take the remains from her hands.After having saved her life and earned her trust, the least she could do was give back something, that she seemed so crestfallen about to have lost.The wolf didn't let go of the leather, and Serana didn't know if it was because her joints were frozen or because of her stubbornness to hold on unto what's “lost”.She whispered calming words to her, using only a little bit of her vampiric seduction. Slowly but surely her grip loosened, allowing Serana to take the broken pieces into her hands.The vampire was convinced that the leather wasn't the only thing that was broken. The wolf was full of wrath and pain, both overshadowed by a mask of self confidence and indifference, but anger comes from sadness. Serana knew that all too well. Her own hatred against her father was fed from the sadness he made her experience. Night after night of being ignored and neglected and shielded from a world she just now got to experience by travelling with this angry wolf fuelled her own anger and frustration, to the point of agreeing to her mother's plan of fleeing his control and going into hiding. But now he found her and she had to go back, as much as she hated the idea, she needed to see where they all stood.But she was certain about one thing.Arslan felt just as lost as her. And so her decision was made.Exhaling slowly, the vampire’s hands began to glow a gentle violet. The leather started to mend, melting together until no indication of a ripping was left. She could feel Arslan's intense gaze on her as she repaired the armor, she didn't know how long it took, but it was complete in her hands by the time she was starting to feel even a slight drain of her magic.The silence was finally broken.“Here you are... Good as new.” Serana said, holding out the black leather.Arslan only nodded as she slowly reached for it, hesitation clear in her movements as she finally grasped the armor. Holding the treasure close to her chest, she mumbles; “Thank you.”“You saved my life.” Serana shrugged, she knew it was her fault that it broke in the first place but she chose to be silent for now, looking away as the girl got up and dressed back into her armor, slightly uncomfortable due to the lack of undergarments. Still, she stood tall and proud, marveling the leather. Old seams that were on the verge of breaking were stronger than ever now.Holding the cloak of the vampire, she turns around and looks into Seranas blood red eyes. Handing back the cloak, a comfortable silence issues. Until the wolf broke it.“Your wound...it's not fully healed yet. Why?” Her eyes were trained on the scaring flesh, the reddish wound clashing with vampires pale Nordic skin.“I used too much energy during the fight.” Serana shrugged. “It's going to be fully healed a few more hours from now.”Serana didn't need to say that the lack of feeding caused her healing to be slowed down. She hoped that the girl would catch on and leave it at that.She didn't. Obviously.“You haven't drank any blood since we passed that bandit camp yesterday.” The wolf said, already working on unstrapping her gauntlet.Seranas hungry eyes were already trained on the darkened skin of the imperial, she could almost hear the blood rushing through her blue veins. Despite herself, she hungrily licks her lips.“As a...thanks, for fixing my armor.” Arslan looked away, suddenly she didn't feel the cold bite at her skin anymore. “Go ahead.”The vampire wanted to refuse, she truly did, but she was famished and the wolf's blood was more than tempting to say the least. So gently, she took her wrist and after a murmured “thank you” she broke the tanned skin.Serana would never get used to the werewolf's taste and the Arslan would never get used to the feeling of her soft lips on her wrist.In silence, they shared their gift to the other.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The storm stopped a few hours ago.

The two had packed up their gear, leaving nothing but ashes and dried blood behind before stepping out into the morning sun. Arslan had to melt the mountain of snow that had blocked the entrance of the cave in order to get them out of the cramped space. They would arrive in Morthal once dusk hits them.

The two travellers were walking in a comfortable silence, the sound of leather boots crushing freshly fallen snow filling the air. The wildlife around the pair mesmerized Serana, elks and eagles catching her interest made her stop in her tracks a few times. Arslan found it endearing somehow, gazing at her with a soft smile playing on her lips as she watches the way the vampires eyes lit up, mouth forming an almost childish grin as she spots a rabbit in the distance.

She looked away in embarrassment when the girl turned around, catching her staring at her. The vampire chuckles at the sight of the embarrassed wolf. “I've never seen so many animals. It's a first for me.” She admits with a shy smile, and Arslan found herself staring at her again before remembering to answer.

“Really? You didn't get out much huh?” Serana shook her head, her smile turning sad, and Arslan wished she could have changed her reply.

Wait... what? Get yourself together woman!

She thought as she lead them over a bridge, briefly noting that they should be arriving at the hold soon.

“My parents... they didn't let me leave our home often.” The vampire shared, gazing solemnly at the stream of rushing water the bridge overlooked. “I would sneak out of course, but I never went too far away. I would watch Solitude from afar, thinking what it would be like to walk the market and see the famous windmill I've read about in countless books...” She stopped and stood in the middle of the bridge, delicately leaning with one hand on the rough stone, looking down at the clear stream.

Arslan stopped in her tracks too, looking at the almost picturesque scene in front of her. The soft rays of the sun shining upon the vampires form, and the serene but nostalgic look she wore as she gazes at the freezing waters. Arslan was no fool. She recognises that the vampire is of exceptional beauty. She knew it from the moment she laid eyes on the raven haired woman, but what once was a simple observation now turned out to be much more. Ever since they left the cave this morning, she caught herself staring at the vampire on multiple occasions, just like she did right now. She didn't completely know why she couldn't get her eyes away from the child of the night, she thought it was because she started to actually...tolerate her presence more by now. After having fixed her treasured armor, the wolf was grateful to her. That must be all there is. Tolerance based upon gratefulness.

Right?

Clearing her, suddenly very dry, throat she took some steps towards the woman and leans on the wall next to her, arms crossed as she looked over her shoulder and into her blurry reflexion in the water. It moved with the stream, her mirrored face contorting as if mocking the weaknesses she shows the vampire.

Because to the wolf, honesty was the biggest flaw one could give away to the enemy.

So why do I carelessly show my true thoughts, for her to see?

The wolf didn't know. And she didn't want to know.

Ignorance is bliss after all.

“Well... you'll get to see it soon. I mean, if you’re not in a rush to get home, of course.” She answers after her internal conflict was over. The rushing water had filled the silence anyways.

Serana looked over to the wolf, noticing the way her eyes are hidden by the hood of her armor, she thought it was a shame, the hazel eyes were already often times hidden behind dark hair. She knew that the wolf was staring at her, ever since they left at dawn. She knew that she was considered quite “beautiful”, she heard it many times, from guests of her father to potential suitors he would arrange for her. None of which have ever caught her attention. That is why she was used to lingering stares, but the wolf was also eye catching. The contrasts between masculinity and femininity was an interesting mix. Short hair and men's clothing clashing with long eyelashes and soft looking lips, these would no doubt leave her to be quite popular. And from what she gathered, quite popular with women. Something her father had, yet again, shown disdain towards.

She always made sure that he wouldn't catch her sneak looks at her suitors sisters.

She would hold her tongue on that matter for now though, since the wolf seemed to be troubled by these thoughts. It was painfully obvious that the wolf had trust issues, but Serana couldn't blame her. If her hidden scars ( that she didn't address or ask questions about, just yet) and her mistrust and disdain for people in general were of any indication, then the vampire was sure that she had her reasons.

The wolf still somehow grew to the vampire. As much as she would like to renounce that fact, decades of solitude and loneliness left her craving for interaction with someone. Even if it came from such an unlikely source.

Still, I mustn't get carried away. This is only temporary.

She tried to ignore the feeling of disappointment that came with the thought, dreading the loneliness she will soon be exposed to again.

“I wouldn't mind a little stop. I'm not that keen on going back home anyways.” The last part was quiet, and Arslan couldn't hold back her curiosity.

“Why? Someone you don't want to see?” She cringed at the protective edge to her voice, thankfully, Serana didn't seem to have noticed.

“Well...” The vampire hesitated briefly, and Arslan wondered if she overstepped her boundaries. “My father and I don't really get along.”

She chuckles dryly

“Saying it like this makes it sound so... common.” With a mocking tone she continues. “Little girl that doesn't get along with her father... read that story a hundred times before.”

The rushing of the water filled the silence once again.

“Parents can be... tricky. I understand that, don't worry.” Arslan thought back to her own father, the man that exiled her.

Her grip on her own arms becomes stronger. Trimmed nails digging into black leather.

“Yes, indeed...” Serana acted obvious to the girl's sudden change in mood, but she could hear her heartbeat pick up in anger.

The wrath the girl carried was simultaneously frightening and alluring to the vampire. The anger and hate, that made her flames burn brighter, had something that Serana was drawn to, like Icarus, she felt like she would get burned if she got too close.

But somehow, she didn't mind.

They stayed like this for a few more moments before choosing to keep going. Both lost in their own thoughts and memories.
 
OoO
 
Just as Arslan expected, the sun started to set by the time they arrived in Morthal. An orange light casts over the hold, turning the fog into a vivid color, making it look like the city was plunged into flames.

How ironic it would be once they thought back.

Serana cautiously looked around the swampy area, noting the curious looks the townspeople gave them. The wolf picked up on her observation and silently explains; “They don't get many visitors in these parts. People are just being careful.”

With a sideways glance and a grin, she adds. “Doesn't help that you have red eyes too.”

The vampire in question tugged her hood further over her glowing eyes. “Well that's hardly my fault is it now? Besides you're the one with the Thieves guild armor.”

“Touché.” Arslan smirked. The town was quiet, most people were minding their own business, preparing to call it a day and maybe head to the inn for an ale. That's where the two travellers were headed.

Arslan made sure to pull her hood down, and keeping her head down when they passed some guards patrolling near the Jarls keep, shielding her face further from the cautious looks they gave her. This whole

dragonborn

ordeal left people with the rough knowledge what she looked like under her hood. Which for a thief, isn't good for business.

The wanted posters were offending in themselves. She was just glad that Morthal didn't have many hanging around. Whiterun had been

covered

in them, every house, pole, hell even market stands had them pinned into the old wood.

She wanted to strangle the person who drew her portrait.

Her nose did

not

look like that.

Lost in her thoughts she lead them up to the inn, gaze firmly trained to the floor.

Serana stopped halfway up the flight of stairs leading to the entrance that Arslan was already about to open, her attention on a burned down house some ways away. Something about the blackened wood and ash made the vampire uncomfortable, it was as if she was drawn to the carnage.

“Serana?” The vampire tore her eyes away from the scene and looked at Arslan, who was watching her with curious eyes. “Where are you going...?”

Confused by the question, Serana frowned at the wolf before noticing that she had, unconsciously, moved back down the stairs and took some steps towards the burned down house. “I...” She hesitated, looking back to the destroyed home.

Arslan's quizzical eyes turned to the home in the distance, her mouth opening in a silent gasp. “Oh no...”

Jumping back down the stairs of the inn, the wolf ran towards the burned home, eyes wide with silent panic.

Serana followed suite, calling after the wolf.

“No no no no... by the gods please it can't be...” Once she reached the charred house, the wolf jumped over the debris and started to look at the destruction before her. Her footprints leaving way to back wood and stone, she wasn't even sure if it was snow or ashes she stepped on.

Once Serana reached her, she slowly climbed over the remains of pillars and made her way to the grieving thief. They could both smell it.

The smell of burned flesh.

For the first time in years, it causes bile to rise up Arslan's throat.

She swallows it down together with the rising shame she felt.

Silently she approached the woman, whose gloved hands were now balled into tight fists.

She let the wolf have some space, waiting silently as she inspects the burned remains of furniture. The feeling was even stronger now. She was positively shuddering now, it was as if she was being watched. Shaking off the feeling she lifts her head when the wolf speaks, in a quiet and trembling voice.

“This place... I knew them. The people that lived here.” A trembling sigh left her cold lips. “It was a married couple. They let me stay here when I was still new to this land. I would help with the housework and such in exchange, since the wife was expecting.”

Serana was sure that if she still had a working heart, it would contort itself in pain and empathy. She wasn't sure why hearing the pain in the girl's voice made her want to revolt against the gods themselves. Against the unfairness of fate. She took a cautious step towards the girl. A reflex that she almost didn't realize she was doing.

The wolf's voice broke at what she said next.

“I never came to visit after moving to Riften.” A laugh void of any true humor left her choked throat. “Not much worth of interest in these parts. Not for a thief like me at least.”

She remembers the nights spend with the older couple, diners and the scoldings she would get from the soon-to-be-mother when she would forget to mind her language near the “baby”. She remembers the night where they asked her if she had any names for the child, since they couldn't decide on one. She told them the most ridiculous ones she could come up with, joking until the stars started disappearing from the sky.

The sun has set and left place to the bright moonlight that set shadows where previously had been light.

With a smirk and darkened eyes she turns around to face Serana. “Well... Guess they just weren't cut out to make it huh?”

A careless chuckle resonated in the night.

“Shame. Though if the weak didn't die, there wouldn't be anything for the strong to take, ain't that right?” Arslan trained her gaze towards the sky, her back turned to the vampire.

Serana’s gaze didn't waver at the harsh words that escaped the wolf. Instead, she closes the gap between her and the wolf, until she is but a few feet away.

“If that's what you think... then why are you crying?” Softly the vampire puts a hand on Arslans shoulder. Turning her around so that she faces the creature of the night.

The young woman was smiling at the vampire, a lost and broken look on her tear stained face. A beat of silence was filled with the howling of wolves in the distance.

“Because... ” A choked sob escapes her. “Telling myself that, is easier than accepting that... the strong rely on the weak more than one would like to believe.”

Serana didn't choose to say anything. Grief and pain were complicated and heavy, one wouldn’t always appreciate or believe one's advice on that matter. So she stayed quiet, holding on to the broken girl's trembling shoulder as she lets tears fall into ashes and snow.

While they count the stars in the sky, Serana thought she heard a sob come from behind her.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Suffocating.

She felt like she was suffocating.

Her breathing sped up and if she still would have had a heartbeat, Serana was convinced that it would have

stopped.

She didn't imagine it.

She was sure of it. She felt it the moment they stepped into this place.

A spirit was near.

She needed to get out of here. She needed to get

Arslan

away from here.

So that is what she did.

She didn't turn around, ignoring the piercing gaze she felt behind her back as she tightens her grip on the wolfs shoulder. Her mother had warned her about them during their study sessions.

Spirit's, especially the ones having suffered such a tragic death, often end up being of the most dangerous kind. They often took it upon themselves to get attached to a living subject. A link to their past life.

She murmurs a soft “Let's go.” hoping that the howling wind would cover the urgency in her voice. She needed to get the wolf away from here, fast.

Serana was convinced that having the physical representation of one of her deepest regrets haunt her, would eventually drive the girl into madness.

Or rather, even deeper into it.

Arslan had long since stopped her tears, the tracks on her cheeks glistening in the moonlight as she watched the stars above.

She had wondered briefly how many of her old pack members were part of them.

The voice of the vampire woke her up from her thoughts.

Was it always this soft or had she just never noticed it?

Turning around to look at the vampire, she stops dead in her tracks as she sees the look in Seranas glowing eyes.

Urgency. Concern. Impatience.

Fear.

She raised a brow in a silent question, her lips opening to form the question that burned on the tip of her tongue.

What's wrong?

She stopped. Words dying out in her throat as it tightens, like a rag being wrung out, it felt like her neck would snap at the pressure.

There it stood.

Right behind the vampire.

A small girl.

A small, ethereal, crying girl.

“Se... Seran...” The broken mumbles escaping the wolfs trembling lips made the vampires heart ache. “That’s... is that-”

The child had her face burried in her hands, her shoulders moving up and down as sobs tore themselves from her mouth and into the night. They felt like cold iron to Arslans ears.

“Yes.” The vampire stepped forward, before carefully grabbing Arslan's chin with her fingers, forcing her gaze to stay on her and away from the silently weeping child behind her. “You must not look at her. Just look at me, alright? I'll lead you over the debris, just keep your eyes on me.”

She involuntarily tightened the grip on the girl's chin, as the girl loudly sobbed behind her, making the wolf physically wince. Serana was sure that Arslan wouldn't have hesitated to break her arm in any other situation, but the imperial was way too much out of it to care. She loosened her grip and shot her an apologetic look. The wolf looked more vulnerable than ever right now. The girl had gone pale, her eyes struggling to stay on the vampire rather than on the child and her breathing was growing more uneven by the minute.

She gave a weak nod that Serana would have surely missed, had she not been studying the girl like a hawk.

With that, the vampire slowly guided Arslan over the obstacles laying in their way back to the front of the house, making sure that her gaze wouldn't leave hers.

She had never seen a look quite like the one Arslan had at the moment. It was fearful, but not like the kind their cattle back at the castle had. No, it was closest to the fear a soldier would have, after coming home from a war. The fear that the past would eventually catch up to them, leaving them screaming in the middle of the night, covered in sweat as they try to wash off the invisible blood on their hands.

Her regret was standing right in front of her.

Mocking her sanity and taking the remains of it while they are at it.

The sobbing grew louder and louder as they neared what was once the entrance to the family home. Broken cries of

don't go

and

wait

tore through the air like rusted daggers. The deafening pleads had Arslan shudder and trip over the blackened wood by her feet. Her grip on the vampires arms tightens and Serana almost winced at her display of strength.

No seeing any other way to calm the girl down, Serana pressed the girl's head against her chest, softly whispering words laced with her seduction powers, that they are almost out, that she is

okay

. She was only mildly surprised at the girl's compliance, who only slightly resisted as the vampire tugged her towards her, nearly embracing the wolf. But it certainly worked. The wolf's shoulders were still tense but her breathing was deeper now, more even.

Serana wasn't sure why she did all of this. She didn't know why she was so protective of the girl, even going as far as offering something that could be considered as physical comfort. In any other situation she would have left. Left the girl to her own devices. She saved her once already, why do it twice? She would have considered her weak. Too weak to handle some mistakes made in the past. But she couldn’t bring herself to think that. Hell, she didn't even consider it. To her, the girl was strong. Not only in the physical aspect but also mentally. Sure,  she did have her flaws. Being selfish, greedy, self-centered and cocky in some cases. But she was also clever, careful, calculating, and

fierce

. Serana also knew that, somewhere deep down, the wolf wasn't a bad person. As much as she tried to act like one, she still had cracks in her persona. The one she finds most amusing is that she is always making sure that Serana isn't out in the sun for too long. Going as far as to try to find excuses like “I heard that there's treasure in that cave. Let's check it out." or “Let's walk in the woods, I'm bored and want to throw pine cones at birds”. And the fact that she's slowly but surely learning to trust Serana to some extend, makes the vampire incapable of giving up on her. Giving up on the progress she made. Never having anyone else but mice and rats to talk to did that to someone.

She knew that the girl would be outraged, maybe even disgusted, would she only have been in the the right state of mind. But Serana didn't care. She didn't and wouldn't care if the girl was to be angry with her afterwards, she had the right to, afterall. But she wouldn't let be face this demon, this was not the right time or setting to be confronted with her past more then she was already forced to. Besides, she still needed to get home, and she would appreciate it if her guide had at least a little bit on sanity left in her for the journey.

The moment their feet touched the path before the house, the deafening crying stopped abruptly. The silence was more then welcome and the sigh of relief escaping the vampire was proof of it. A quick glance proves that the girl was still quietly leaning on the vampires bust. Serana just now truly noticed the height difference between the two, being almost half a head taller than the imperial. She held back a smile at the thought.

The exhaustion was radiating off of her in waves, her shoulders were sagged and her breathing slow and deep. The vampire loosens the arm around the wolf's midriff, that had kept her firmly pressed against her. Though still kept her hand on the girl's waist in case she needed the support.

Slowly, the imperial detached herself from Serana, moving back to put a minimal amount of distance between them. The messy hair of the girl was hanging down as she looked at the floor, studying the moss covered path they stood on.

The roads were empty, not even the guards seemed to be patrolling this part of town. The previously ruthless wind had calmed down too, becoming a cool breeze that made their hair sway to an invisible melody.

“I... It was her...wasn't it?” The wolf said, her voice raw and low, almost getting lost between the rustling of the trees in the distance.

Serana frowned at the display of sorrow and grief before her.

“Maybe...?” She was surprised at how unsure she sounded herself.

“I left when I was around eighteen. That was six years ago. Back then they expected the child to be born in a matter of weeks...” She raised her gaze, her eyes meeting the vampires glowing ones. “Serana... They begged me to stay for it's...

her

birth.”

A shaking breath left her blue lips.

“I didn't. I left one night, leaving a note and a pouch filled with gold on their bedside table. It was one of the first times I stole something.” Serana was watching the girl as she recalled the memory, her gaze never wavering from her hazel eyes. “ I broke into a pirate ship that was docking here for a few days...took as much as I could carry and blamed it on one of the crewmembers.”

A small smirk found its way on her face and for Serana, it felt like the first one in forever.

“Heard that they made him work at the farm until he paid back what he took.” A small chuckle escaped her and Serana smirks at the thought of a big bad pirate chasing chickens in order to pay back Arslans debt.

But she was curious about one thing.

“Why did you leave?”

The girls smile turned bitter.

“I was... in the way.” She looked away towards the house in the distance, averting her eyes as soon as it came into contact. “They had their own family and lives... I was only a dog that found her way to the hold, famished and lost. They might have taken me in but... I was never meant to have a part in their lives. So when the kid was about to be born, I started to notice things. For example, how small the food portions were for us three. How small the living space was, and how tired the couple really was after coming home from work in the evening...”

The wolf shook her head at the memories. Trying to clear her head before she got lost in them.

“ I felt like intruding all if a sudden. I tried to tell them, make them throw me out but they wouldn't, telling me that I'm in for the ride now, want it or not.” She smiles fondly and Serana couldn't stop looking at the beautiful display of nostalgia and pain in front of her. “So I got some gold, enough to help them with the necessities needed for the cub and... I left. Took a boat and sailed East where I ended up in Windhelm. From there I moved south and found my way to Riften where I met the gang.”

She looks around the empty streets, gaze staying on a guard patrolling in the distance. “Haven't been in these parts much ever since. Rarely, for a job.”

The silence that came after the last phrase was unsure in nature. It was comfortable but also left place to more questions Serana was burning to ask. She held them in though, since Arslan was faster then her.

“Sorry... I don't know why I'm telling you this.” She chuckles dryly, looking past the vampire and towards the docks, watching the boats sway with the waves. “I'm just your guide afterall.”

The truth was that Arslan was much more than just a

guide

at this point. To Serana at least. The wolf had grown on her, becoming the first true outside company she had in a

long

time. Hell, she had her pressed into her bust, for Talos sake. Being herself, she couldn't hold back the jab.

“Guide huh? And here I thought having you pressed into my breasts would at

least

make us friends. Guess I was wrong, you guides are all the same, truly.” She said with an amused twinkle in her red eyes, as she feigned disappointment.

Arslan chuckled out loud at that, her voice was still raw and rough, but the sound of it still made Serana grin. Though, her smile dropped when she saw just how close they stood next to each other this whole time. Eyes widening suddenly, she moves to put some distance between them only to be stopped by the vampires hand on her waist.

Was it there this whole time?

Not having noticed the appendage was very unusual for the girl. She wasn't fond of physical contact, since the scars she has have made her very sensible to others touch.  And yet she didn't even notice the vampires hand. This whole evening left her exhausted.

“Oh... sorry.” Serana quickly let go of the wolf, putting some distance between the two.

Looking away uncomfortably, Arslan clears her throat. “It's fine.”

Serana tried to decipher the wolfs expression, coming up empty as she hid it under a curtain of black hair.

“I...” The wolf spoke up slowly, testing the word like it somehow felt foreign to her. “I don't know what to say.”

“Well that's a first.” Serana said, hoping to lift the tension a bit. It worked, the wolf grinning and rolling her eyes at her.

“Quiet, old lady.” Serana raised a brow in mock offense at that, deciding to let it slide as she spoke up again. “Listen. I'm not good at dealing with... certain things.”

“I've noticed.” The vampire said dryly, smirking as the wolf rolled her eyes again.

“Well, I just want to tell you that, I... appreciate, what you did for me.” At that the wolf looked Serana straight into the eyes. She thought it was the most serious she had ever seen the girl, in the short amount of time they have been together at least.

Before Serana could respond she was interrupted. “Not only what you did...

there,

but also for everything else.”

At that the girl looked away again. “You saved me from freezing like a moron, fixed my armor and...” She took a deep breath. “Anyone else would have given up on me. And yet you didn't, you even helped me with...that. You did that so it wouldn't get attached to me right? The spirit I mean...”

She looked at Serana who nodded slowly.

“I read that they could do that. I don't know what I would have done if that happened.”

But Arslan knew that it would have involved a noose.

The vampire was surprised that the girl would tell her all of this. She thought that the girl would brush off what happened with a dumb joke and never address it again. Yet here she was, thanking her.

Why

“Why?”

Arslan looked up hesitantly at the vampire, curiosity and carefulness shining in her eyes. Serana didn't expect the question to be aimed at her.

“What do you mean?”

“Why aren't you giving up on me? Why do you help me every time something happens? I'm not worth the trouble.” The seriousness and curiosity in the girl's words took her by surprise. She thinks she is not worth it?

“Why do you think that?” Serana says after the initial surprise faded.

“Well... I'm a thief. A dirty werewolf. A coward and a selfish bastard who, may I remind you, left Dawnstar to burn when I could have done something,

anything

to help them.” Anger and bitterness hid the confusion and lost edge to her tone well. But Serana still heard it.

“And I'm a vampire. Besides, may

I

remind you that I left them to burn too?”

A frustrated growl left Arslans mouth at that.

“Yes but that's different! You're different! I wanted to steal your scoll for heaven's sake! I was only nice to you so that I could grab it when you weren't looking!” She was now pacing like a madwoman. “Doesn't that bother you!?”

She was nearly screaming now. And for a moment Serana was afraid a guard would hear and come investigate what the commotion was about.

“No.” She simply said. Her calm demeanour only rilling Arslan up even more.

“No?! What do you mean

no?!

” Serana was looking at the lost and furious look in her moonlit eyes, and she couldn't help but smirk at the girl.

“You would have done it by now, if you really meant it.” Arslan stopped dead in her tracks at that.

Got her.

Serana thought as the words fell from her cold lips.

“You had more than one opportunity to do it, yet you didn't. While I was pinned down by that frost troll, you could have left, but you didn't. And even after, while i was resting?” She shrugged “You didn't take it.”

“I... I wasn't sure if you were-" Arslan tried to say, but Serana cut her off with a huff.

“Oh please, I was out cold, we both know it. Point is... you're not as bad as you try to be. Sure, you're a greedy thief, but you still have a conscience. And... you're the first person I met outside of my home. Yes, I might have been distrustful at first, but I like to think that we've grown past that point.”

Arslan was speechless, opening her mouth but no words came out. A grin appeared on the vampires lips and she added.

“Plus, like I said... I had you against my bust. In my book that makes us friends.” The wink she added made the wolf visibly flustered. She smirks as the wolf turns around hiding her blush.

“...Fine. You want a friend that badly? Well, you got one now. Good luck living with that regret.” She said so lowly that Serana almost missed it.

The wolf looked back at her, a small grin forming as she sees the satisfied look Serana hides behind a playful smirk.

“I'm sure I can handle it.”

“Well... we will just have to find out huh?”

The vampire chuckles at that, as she walks past the girl, heading towards the Inn.

“Indeed we will,

friend.”

With a shake of her head and a last longing look at the burned ruin behind her, the wolf follows the vampire towards the Inn.

This is going to be interesting indeed.

She thought as Serana smirked at her from the stop of the stairs, leaning on the door to the Inn.

Very interesting indeed.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Her eyes were burning. She couldn't close them, no matter how hard she tried. It was like someone was forcing them to stay wide open. Forcing her to watch. Watch the damn wall. Only this time it wasn't only one word that stood out, but all of them.She felt sick.The violent light felt wrong.Once again, it felt like her whole body caught on fire. A sort of fire that would not stop burning, that would not stop scorching her from the inside, until nothing of her was left but ash and cinders.After what felt like an eternity, the beam of light changes. One word turns black, infecting the others, spreading like mold until the wall was nothing but a dark shadow looming over her.She could feel it entering her. Rotting her and marking her skin. She wanted to scream but only darkness left her mouth, spewing like the fire of a...Dragon.Two red eyes appear in the heart of this disease that was leaving her body, and soon the wretched body of the creature was hovering over her.
You can't escape... our fates are intertwined. Our blood is the same. You can feel it, can't you...

Dovahkiin?
oOoWhen Arslan woke up she did not scream.Motionless and covered in sweat, her eyes were glued to the ceiling of the room. Her skin felt like it was blistering. She didn't dare to look, scared that it might be the case.Dreams that follow her into reality. She felt sick at the thought.“Bad dream?” The vampire's voice felt like a cool cloth on her body and Arslan would have almost sighted at the feeling if she didn't feel like emptying last night's diner on the wooden floor.Moving to sit on the edge of the bed, she swallows her dread and forces a response out instead.“Yeah.”Her voice felt rough and her mouth was dry. She cleared her throat before continuing. “I'm fine.”At this point she didn't know who she was trying to convince and she didn't care. She felt so damn hot. I need to get out of here. She thought as she got off of the bed, maneuvering around Serana, who was sitting and flipping through another book of hers.“Where are you going?” Serana asked with a raised brow as the wolf wobbly bend down to put on her boots.“Out to catch some air, I’ll be back soon.” Arslan said trying to sound casual as she went towards the door of the small rented room.Serana opened her mouth to say something, but by the time she found her words the woman was already out the door.Serana sighed, it wasn't the first time that Arslan had had nightmares. In fact there was hardly a time where the vampire didn't get woken up by gasps of terror or whimpering in the middle of the night. Though the wolf would never admit it, she knew that these dreams took a toll on her. The dark bags under her eyes being the proof of it.
Gods know how long this has been going on.
She decided to let her cool off a bit before going after her, she did have a habit of attracting trouble after all.And this town sure felt like trouble to her.oOoThe sound of snow crunching under her heavy boots together with the cooling wind did much to calm the wolf down. Even as she passed the burned home she once knew, she managed to keep her breathing steady. She couldn't bear to look at it though.She walked in the shadows of the early morning. The reddish sky dyed the occasional patch of snow to a beautiful orange and Arslan felt almost at peace as she took in the scenery, avoiding the occasional guard and early worker that crossed her path as she absentmindedly walked through the town.She was lost in thoughts, thinking about the journey that brought her to where she was now. From being a prisoner, on the brink of getting executed, to a thief whose guild became once again known across the land to whatever she was now.
Dovahkiin...
The deep voice echoed in her mind, causing her to clench her jaw until her teeth hurt.Ridiculous. She thought as she kept walking, too lost in her thoughts to notice where she was headed.She stopped abruptly as she noticed a foul smell in the distance.It smelled like that home.Like burned flesh and scorched hair.The wolf was stuck in place. Stuck in time. Stuck in the memories of what happened the day before.“You're here... aren't you?” She mumbled words that would get lost in the wind. I didn't mean to make you upset yesterday... The child said, spectral eyes staring at the wolf.The bile rises in the wolf's throat and her hands became pale as she made fists out of them. She didn't know if it was the cold sweat that made her palms feel clammy or her nails that dug into her skin.
I need your help. Mommy is waiting for me but I can't go.
“Why?” Arslan forced out.
Why you? Why her? Why not me.
She won't let me go. I was so hot, and she tried to make it go away, but she didn't make it and now she's still trying. I want to go to my mommy.The little girl started to cry transparent tears, and the wolf tried to understand. Understand what she said, what she meant, but the language felt foreign all of a sudden.“Where are you?” The words didn't feel like they were coming out of her mouth. It was like someone took over her body, and all she could do was watch this stranger take over her. Her mouth moved on its own. It was like her body was enchanted. She became but a witness to the madness.Under but now over, she took me out, she won't let me rest. I want to go to mommy. The child kept crying, louder and louder until the sound was all that Arslan could make out.Silence.The wind and the distant rustling of the trees were all she could hear. The girl was gone but the stench was still there.Her mind was empty, as she walked towards the edge of the town.oOoA coffin. The dark wood was beautiful, and the prayers that were delicately engraved on it were the proof of an impressive craftsmanship.She has never seen such a small coffin before.She has never seen such an extraordinary flame explode from her palms either. Neither has she ever heard such a desperate cry when the flesh burned off of the vampire's bones in front of her.It all was over so fast.She followed the smell, found the graveyard and a lone vampire digging up a children's coffin. After that it was a blur. She only remembers explosive flames erupting from her fingertips as she threw herself at the hooded woman, getting a hold of her face and getting one first and last look at her before the skin between her hands blackened. Screaming and yelling at her for the crimes she committed. “You killed them! You fucking killed them!”Though the scream of the vampire was louder, short, but louder.Now her hands smelled like burning hairs and were covered in charred skin.The once beautiful resting place was partially charred too. She almost cringed at the irony.Thank you. The small girl said with a peaceful smile. Arslan didn't turn around to look at her, helplessly trying to remain sane as she looked at the burning coffin. She didn't deserve to burn a second time, but there wasn't much she could do at this point.
Now I can finally sleep.
That makes one of us. Arslan thought as she watched the embers dance in the wind, before disappearing into nothingness. Oh how she envied them.
Mommy tells me to tell you something.
Numb. There it was again. That feeling.She says thank you, and welcome back.
“Welcome back Arslan!”

“Welcome back Arslan, hope you didn't cause any trouble today."

“Arslan! You're back! I think I felt the baby kick! Come over here and feel it!"

“Welcome home, Arslan.”
Her face felt wet of all a sudden. When did it start to rain?“Tell me, what is your name?” Her throat felt tight, and each word that came out of her mouth felt like thorns ripping through her chest.
Helgi.
“That's a beautiful name.” She whispers to the sky.Silence.She doesn't know how long she stood there. Looking at the wooden container in front of her. Or what was left of it.“Arslan! By the gods what happened?! We have to get out of here! The guards saw the smoke, they are heading this way.” Serana shouted as she ran towards the wolf, taking her by the hand before stopping in her tracks. A coffin. Ash. Cinders. A corpse with a black head. The smell...“Arslan... what happened?” The woman asked her eyes staying on the black wood in front of her.The wolf didn't answer, instead she asked back. “When did it start raining?”Serana’s eyes widen in surprise before she sighed. “It's not raining.”The woman began dragging her away towards the woods in front of them. The large backpack of the wolf strapped to her back. Nothing was left behind, except for the remains of one's sanity and a charred coffin.Back turned to the wolf she said: “It's not raining, Arslan...”She let herself get dragged into the morning mist, teardrops falling into the snow beneath their feet, writing a tale of cinders and tragedy.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Tired feet are dragging themselves through cold mud and puddles of water. The wolf hasn't said a word since they left town, running as fast as they could until they found themselves in these humid woods, walking through shallow waters and climbing up the exposed roots of the trees that grew in it. The leaves of the forest were rustling, like secrets, they got lost in the fog of the forest that surrounded them.      Serana could barely see Arslan, as the wolf walked in front of her. With straight shoulders and a steady hand holding the hilt of her sword, any trace of vulnerability gone the moment they stepped foot here, far away from that cursed town, Arslan marched through the forest as if she was planning on conquering the land she stood on.       Just when Serana thought that she finally made progress with the Imperial woman, she shut herself in again, becoming the cold and calculating thief she met upon waking up from her slumber. It was always one step forward, two steps back with her and she wondered if this was for the best. Arslan clearly didn't want to let someone in. The woman was too proud and too untrusting of people.     Serana wondered what made her this way, tried to find the best approach even if she didn't understand why it bothered her this much. Why it bothers her that Arslan won't tell her what had happened back there. Why it drives her mad that the woman doesn't acknowledge that she had been there for her and would continue to do so if only she would ask her.     Now they had been walking for almost two hours and Serana was considering pining Arslan against the next tree and forcing her to talk so that she could finally understand what is going on in her head. But just as she opened her mouth Arslan finally said something.  “Mind if we take a detour? There's someone I want to visit.” The werewolf said as she watched the vampire struggle to move through the dirt.      Serana stopped for a moment to look at her. She didn't pry or ask questions, even if they burned at the tip of her tongue, giving her a little nod before following her off path. The look on the wolf's face was of a strange nature. Hopeless and mellow, the wolf mumbles a “Thank you” behind her back, before stepping in another deep body of water.      The vampire learned fast that Arslan was someone who could hide her emotions well. But she couldn't, and not for the lack of trying, hide the fact that her eyes said more than she would like. Right now her usually bright irises were dark brown, and her gaze was unfocused. It seems that the woman was lost in her thoughts. A prisoner of her tortured mind. Serana held back that question that burned her tongue; “Where are we heading?”     After a whole hour of walking through the mist she couldn't take it anymore and asked. “Visiting a friend.” Arslan responded, looking straight ahead as she walked between the old trees looming over them.     Serana didn't answer back, deciding to just wait and see what the wolf meant by that. They kept walking in silence for another half an hour before arriving at the Imperial’s destination.      A lonely old shack stood surrounded by moldy trees and puddles of water.  Serana wondered who would be mad enough to live there in the middle of the woods. The walls of the shack were overgrown with moss and the door was wide open, broken at the hinges and moving ever so slightly with the wind.      Arslan entered the cabin with Serana being only a few feet behind her. So naturally, when the wolf abruptly stopped, she ran into her. Her hands automatically moved to hold the wolf by the hips. Noticing their close proximity she quickly let go and put some distance between them, uttering a low “Oh... sorry.” But Arslan was too lost in thoughts and thankfully hadn't paid any attention to the vampires hands. Though she was starting to become a bit more responsive since they left town, answering with a quick; “It's fine.” as her gaze was trained around the four walls.      Serana looked around, the inside of the cabin was just as run down as it's exterior. Moss and small plants had begun to grow through the cracks in the walls. On one side was an old bed and an empty bookshelf, one the other a small table and chair. But no sight of the owner of this small home. “Well, seems like no one is home...” Serana slowly said, cautiously eyeing Arslan as she went back out the door. “Seems like it...”The Imperial then took a deep breath before shouting; “Meeko! Come here boy!”     Serana opened her mouth to ask her what she is doing but she was interrupted by an unlikely sound. A bark.      Looking around for the source of the sound she sees a shaggy looking dog come running from the distance. Coming out of the fog he stopped short in front of Arslan all while he happily barked at her.  The wolf then knelt down to pat the dog, scratching him behind his ears while he wildly wagged his tail.  “Hello Meeko... have you been okay out here on your own? You been eating okay?” Arslan asked, not expecting him to understand, but still smiling when he barks in response. The dog seemed to be in good shape for a stray, a bit dirty from the mud but he looked content.Meeko huh? Serana thought with an amused smile as she watches the dog run around in front of Arslan.“That's who you wanted to visit?” Serana said, gaze wandering to the dog as he approached to sniff at her hand before he barks again and rolls on the floor, making the vampire let out a smooth chuckle at his silly behavior.      They kind of resemble each other, both kind of shaggy looking, playful and... cute. Serana chased the thought from her mind as soon as it came, deciding on concentrating on the words coming out of the Imperials mouth. “Yeah... Little guy lost his owner a few years back. It gets pretty lonely out here, I try to pay him a visit whenever I can.” She said, and Serana saw some light return in her eyes.     Though Meeko’s smell was more than pungent for the vampire's sensitive nose, she would ignore it if it meant that the wolf would snap out of that trance of hers.      The vampire felt a drop of water falling on her pale cheek and thoughts of the wolf filled her mind. “ When did it start to rain?”     She read once, that eyes are the window to someone's soul. And she never met someone like Arslan, someone with such betraying eyes.     Shaking her head as if it would help her get rid of the image, she followed Arslan and her furry friend into the shack to seek shelter from the rain that had started to pour down upon them.  Once inside Serana took the seat by the table while Arslan sat down on the bed. Meeko was laying on the floor by her feet, exhausted from the excitement of having some company.  They listened to the sound of the rain consistently falling onto the roof of the shed. It became incredibly loud in their shared silence, drowning the forest in the sound and the water.     Serana watched Arslan as she stared at the dog by her feet. Thoughts clearly racing in her mind, the Imperial faintly sighed before speaking.  “I apologize for what happened back in Morthal. I was kind of...” She stopped, searching for the right words to say. “Lost.” Serana said, watching as Arslan clenches her fists, not saying anything else. “It's okay. I'm just glad that you're safe.” Serana continued, not wanting the wolf to retreat back into herself. “When I heard the explosion, I knew it was you. And for a moment I was truly-.”  Scared.  “- distraught... at the thought that something might have happened." To you.  Serana finished lamely, keeping the last part to herself and letting the rain draw out the silence between them. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you.” Arslan said, looking up. Her eyes were back to their usual melancholic light brown. “I kind of lost myself back there.”      Arslan watched Meeko as he yawned and closed his eyes, getting ready for a quick nap. Smiling faintly, she shook her head before saying.  “You sure you don't want to get back into eternal slumber? Saves you from dealing with...”  Me "All that stuff." She smiled grimly, averting her gaze once again.      Serana rolled her eyes at that before answering; “You're right. I would much prefer decades of being trapped in a stone coffin, rather than traveling with a mildly kleptomaniac wolf.”“My kleptomaniac tendencies are most charming and you know it.” Arslan said, weakly grinning at the vampire as she sighed in fake exasperation.“What have I gotten myself into?” “You, Milady, have gotten yourself into the adventure of your lifetime.” Arslan smirks for real this time and Serana ignored the way her stomach fluttered at the nickname and answered instead.  “You might just be right...”      The rain slowly came to an end, and left the rays of sunshine peeking through the branches of the forest. "Thank you, Serana."  Arslan's eyes were bright and alive again, and the vampire forgot to respond for a moment. It was so easy to get lost in thoughts when these amber eyes stared right at her."You're welcome, Arslan." Serana said with a small smile. The rain didn't seem as loud as before.  After they said their goodbyes to Meeko, leaving him with more than a third of their meat supply, they went back on their way.  After a few more hours they would find a sign pointing them towards the North.Solitude. 
Almost home...

Father.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Solitude was truly a stunning city.    The breeze from the ocean left behind a salty aftertaste in the air, and the city was still glistening from the remnants of the rain that fell the night before. The shiny rooftops made it seem almost enchanted.    The Blue Palace never looked so royal.    And Serana never felt so alive .    Her bright eyes couldn't take in this magnificent sight. If Arslan words didn't wake her from this trance she would have stayed and stared at this kingdom until her secondary death took her. "So... that's Solitude alright." She said, eyes fixed on the tall walls standing like proud guardians before them. "I must warn you... I made myself a lot of enemies in this city." The wolf said, lost in the thoughts of her past crimes.  Though I'd rather call them achievements. She thought with a smirk.    Tearing her gaze away from the impressive Windmill standing in the middle of the city and shooting the wolf an amused smile. "Is there any place in Skyrim where you haven't stolen something?" "Probably... Though I would be careful if I were you. That kind of talk only encourages me." The cocky girl said with an all-to-honest grin. "Of course it does." Serana chuckled and rolled her eyes at the ridiculous thief. "Well this is nice and all... but I'm starving for some spiced wine." With that, she made her way through the gates.    Serana shook her head and shot one last look at the view. 
It looks even better than what I imagined... 
 
oOo

The smell of spices and fresh fish hits them as soon as they walked into the city. The market that filled the town square was still open and crowded with roaming travelers and locals alike. Even in the late afternoon hours it was busy, colorful and crammed with merchants trying to sell their merchandise to the various passerbys. They walked past the stands, taking their time and looking at the exotic fruits and drinks being sold by the loud sellers trying to out price each other.     They spent a few hours walking the city, still trying to avoid the guards and occasional noblemen that Arslan robbed; "Back in my glory days."   she would say.    Serana was mesmerized by some of the produce. She had to stop herself from pointing at some of the products with childish wonder, having never seen these before. Arslan was more interested in the jewelry and wide array of skewered meats that were being cooked at some stands.    To Seranas surprise, she didn't steal anything. Paying the vendor meticulously after each purchase.    Of course, the vampire couldn't hold back her thoughts once they were in the Inn, putting their respective bags and possessions on each of their beds. In order to stay low they chose a single room with two beds. Though the guards didn't pay them much attention, they did not want to risk being found out. The dragonborn and a vampire... that would make for interesting rumors. "For a thief you were weirdly well behaved toda-." Serana started to tell before the sight next to her interrupted her mid speech.    Arslan, in all her glory, emptied her various pockets containing a significant amout of jewelry, fruits, whole bottles of wine and even meats skewers.   Serana didn't even wanted to ask where she put those."Nevermind. You're terrible. I don't even know what to say, this is borderline ridiculous. You are unbelievable, an utter kleptomaniac." Serana said shaking her head in exasperation, trying to hide the smile that was tugging at the corner of her pink lips. "Jokes on you. I don't even know what that means ." Arslan said taking a bottle of wine before swallowing a hefty swing of the rich liquid. "You are impossible..." Serana rolled her eyes at the wolf before her eyes land on a shiny emerald ring. The stone was polished beautifully, she had never seen such a shade of green before."Is that...?" She started saying, incredulously staring at the expensive looking jewelry. "You were looking at it before weren't you? Don't worry, I didn't steal this one... Wouldn't want you to land in the dungeon because the old man recognized the ring. It's rather unique." The girl said, nonchalantly looking away before taking another sip of her beverage.    The spice was familiar, though this feeling she had while glancing at the vampire as she gingerly took the ring into her elegant hands...    That was entirely new. "You bought it for me?" Serana asked, shooting her a surprised look. "Yeah." Arslan looked away, suddenly feeling a bit embarrassed. "You don't like it?"    Serana took the ring into her hand, tracing the intricate design of the silver and golden linings with soft fingertips. "No, it's beautiful. You shouldn't have, it must have cost you a fortun-" "It's nothing, truly." Arslan interrupted her, shaking her hand nonchalantly. In truth she did spend a lot on it. But it did not feel right to gift the Vampire a stolen present. After everything the vampire did for her, she wanted to show Serana that she appreciated her help. That even if this was all just business, she was glad that the woman was there. 
   Temporarily. Until she gets home and I get a new life.
   The thought made Arslan's stomach churn unpleasantly.    After a few more swings of the alcohol she was drunk enough to brush this feeling of dread aside and decides to rather study the vampires gentle gaze, as she inspected the ring further. "Thank you, Arslan." Serana said with a small smile, putting on the ring. The beautiful emerald looked bright on her pale skin. "That's uncharacteristically nice of you." The vampire smirks at the wolfs look of indignation."Whatever, don't get used to it, Princess. " Arslan said, no real malice in the surname this time. Serana playfully rolled her eyes at the wolf, the nickname not feeling like an insult this time. In fact, it felt almost endearing."Sure thing, Flea bag." She shot back, smirking sadistically at Arslans offended gasp. "How dare you?" Growled the imperial playfully, moving to clumsily sit on the edge of her bed, facing the vampire. "You want to pick a fight Princess ?"    Serana only smirked at that, rolling her eyes at the drunk woman, looking at her new ring in mock contemplation. "I must decline. I wouldn't want to get my new gift dirty." "What? Don't want to get your hands dirty?" Her grin turns into an insolent smirk; "Or are you just scared-"    Before Arslan could even finish her sentence she was pinned to the bed, both wrists held high above her head uncomfortably. The vampire held them firm enough for the wolf to feel the pressure on them, not quite enough to hurt her but the wolf couldn't get her off in this position.    Without seriously damaging the bed that is.   Her arms were starting to ache as the vampire stretched them even higher over her head as she felt Arslan try her drunken best to resist her grasp. The younger woman tried to throw her off, but Serana straddled her hips, pressing down so that the wolf could barely move at all, her pale face only inches away from her own. The wolf was dumbstruck, looking up at Serana who looked threateningly down at her. That dumb smirk ever so present. "You were saying?" Serana asked, staring down at the wolf, pressing down harder as she felt resistance coming from the Imperial.    Arslan was speechless.    She knew Serana was strong. Stronger than any vampire she ever met at least. But she only ever saw her using her raw strength a few times since they traveled together. It's not like she was weak either, being a werewolf also had its fair share of perks. But Serana was different, not because she was a vampire but because she was her.
Dovahkiin
Did she also share different blood? Was it as rotten as hers? She pushed these thoughts aside.If only she could do the same to the woman above her...   It didn't feel like the first time they met, where she had her pinned down onto the cold ground of the crypt. Where she did not hesitate to burn her when she got a little too handy with her. This was playful, different, less serious than that time. She knew it. They both did. And yet there was something else. Fear perhaps? No. Arslan did not fear her. Respect, yes. But not fear. Her heart was racing nonetheless.    Sudden thoughts of sharp teeth sinking into her neck made the young Imperials eyes widen. She looked away in shame, cheeks reddening. It was the wine that made her think like this, the woman thought halfheartedly.    Serana was taken aback by Arslan's sudden change in attitude.    The proud woman went from being arrogant to surprised to thoughtful and vulnerable.And then she was... blushing? And her eyes...    They were wide, surprised, impressed and there is something else that she could not quite decipher. Getting lost in her gaze she didn't notice how her grip on the girls wrists tightened, making the Imperial wince, and look away from the Vampire straddling her. A certain redness spreading across her freckled face. She could hear her heart beating faster.   Seranas mind was racing, she didn't let go of the young woman. Something is her eyes made Serana want to tighten the hold even more, she wanted to see that little wince again, wanted to count the freckles on the wolf and wanted to hear hear just how fast her heart would go...   I'm feeling hungry. She thought, gaze lingering on the girls lean neck. She could hear the constant pulse, singing for her to have a taste. She licked her lips, suddenly feeling parched. Unconsciously she started to lean in, her lips inches away from grazing Arslan's skin.   The wolf weakly pushes against her again. Getting her attention. "Um... Serana, I get it. I won't make fun of you anymore." Arslan said, eyes still filled with that strange emotion. "Let me go? Before I burn down the whole Inn."    Serana snapped out of her daze. Quickly letting go and getting off of her. Trying to regain her own composure. "Sure. Sorry, I went a bit overboard." She said, watching as Arslan got back up into a sitting position, rubbing her wrists. Between the wolfs fingers she could make out red handprints marking her skin.    She winced a bit, surprised that Arslan didn't just choose to burn her to get her off of her. "It's fine, I kind of deserved it. Taunting a vampire and all..." Her chuckle sounded strained and she slurred her words, making Serana rise a questioning brow at her. "Arslan, are you alright...?" She asked, staring as the wolf reached for the wine once again, this time drowning half of the bottle in one go.    Part of her was concerned about the girl, but seeing Arslan chug down the red liquid made her hungry. She almost wanted to take the bottle away from her, before she got even more tempted to have a taste.   Serana tensely looked away. She never had to struggle with her hunger, being a daughter of Coldharbour had its perks. So the fact that she could barely control herself a few moments ago made her curious as to why .    Questioning eyes watched as Arslan nursed her almost empty bottle of wine. Her freckled face still held some of that delicious red tinge. She hoped that Arslan would forget her little slip up by the morning. "Serana..." Arslan started, unfocused eyes trained on her. "Is something up? You were looking at me real weird." "I... No. I'm fine. You should rest, Arslan. We move out early tomorrow." Serana said, watching as Arslan shrugged before laying down, surrounded by her mess of stolen jewels and goods.    She moved to extinguish the candles lighting up their room, stopping at the last one as Arslan mumbled something, on the verge of sleeping."What was that?" Serana asked, moving in closer to the other girl, figuring that she couldn't invade anymore of the other womans personal space, even if she wanted to."You know Serana..." She slurred, eyes falling closed, and hair spread messily on her face and pillow. "I'm glad..." "Glad about what?" The vampire asked, bewildered at the drunken confession. "I'm glad that I met you..." She breathed out, before continuing slowly. "You don't want me to be something... I can be me..." If Seranas hearing wasn't superior to that of a normal human she wouldn't have heard her.    She wouldn't have heard her say that she'll miss her.   She only looked at the wolf sadly, before answering herself; "I'm glad too. And...I'll miss you too, Arslan."    For once, Arslan wasn't the only one that couldn't sleep that night, plagued by nightmares of what might come next.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Dragonborn
  When Arslan woke up, she could feel dread weighing heavy in her chest. A cold sweat took over her body. Shivering, the woman looked around. Thick smoke filled the room, burning her eyes and filling her lungs like molten steel, scorching her chest from the inside.   Coughing, she forced her stinging eyes to stay open.Smoke, fire, screaming.   Everything in the room was reduced to ashes, consumed by flames.     While cinders were slowly eating away at what was left of her bed, the wolf jumped off of the burning mattress, and with unsteady feet and a racing heart she searched for Serana.    The vampire was somehow the only thing left on her mind. The one who did not deserve to burn. Not like herHow she wishes to have the guts to stay and suffocate... the courage to stay and burn alive. But she didn't, she was too much of a coward to die. Too much of a hypocrite.   Looking to the side, her bed was in a similar state as her own. Ash falling from the blackened wood unto the ground. But the vampire was still nowhere in sight. "There's fire everywhere, so why is it so damn dark !?"  Arslan curses as she ran down the stairs of the Inn, stumbling as she missed some steps in her hurry. Still no one is sight.    The furniture was in flames, candles were being burned down in a matter of seconds and Arslan's bare feet started to blister under the heat. She didn't acknowledge it, she just ran . Downstairs was empty too. 
I'm hearing screams. Where are they coming from? 
   Smoke and heat filled her lungs, as she ran towards the exit. A few steps outside and she stops abruptly. The bare flesh on her feet bleeding out onto the streets, mixing with the ash and putting out the feeble cinders that fell into the red pool. The town burned to the ground.    But that's not what made Arslan stop running, stop breathing, stop feeling.
Why can't that last one ever be true...
   In front of the execution scene of this glorious city, the townspeople stood tall and proud. Empty gazed, burning, melting, staring at the scene playing out on the podium. Mouths shut, even though she hears their screams.   She left behind bloody footprints as she walked between the burning men, and up to the empty podium.    Numb she looks at the stone in front of her. Red from the blood of thousands. Innocent, guilty, something else.    The flames of the scorching men changed color. Blue. Like her own.    She felt sick and slowly fell back on the stone. Hands against her mouth to stop her insides from pouring out.The screams stopped .  Her screams stopped. 
You can't run from your own soul.... your own blood.

How long will you keep trying... dragonborn? 
   In the middle of the crowd stood a burning woman. The flames eating away at her were different from the rest. They burn green. Emerald green. 
Serana... 
 OoO

When Arslan jumped into a sitting position, no one was there to hear her erratic breathing, and even as she felt worried as to where Serana was this time , she was grateful that she didn't get to see her like this.   Her eyes that were previously stinging because of thick black smoke now stung with unshed tears. She brought her knees up to her chest, and breathed in deeply. Her head throbbed and her stomach churned unpleasantly. She drank some water before lying back down. Breathing in deeply, she closed her eyes, grounding herself.   After a few minutes she got up slowly, feeling less sick. She could think straight now, at least.  These damn dreams, why did Serana have to be there...? Somehow that fact made her something in her chest clench uncomfortably.   Slowly she put on her heavy leather and rubbed the leftover nightmare out of her eyes. Where is she anyways? Arslan thought to herself, ignoring the worry building up inside her stomach as she descended the now familiar stairs. She could barely remember what happened last night.    She gave her the ring, panicked, started drinking and then it became blurry. Good to know that she still could not hold her liquor...    Images of the vampire came to her as she went down the stairs, stopping her midstep. Serana hovering over her.Holding her down.   Studying her like she was some sort of prey as she leaned into her.   Careful fingertips touched her neck gently, and Arslan felt her heart speed up. No bite mark.   She sighed in relief, blaming the sinking feeling in her abdomen on the hangover.    It was barely dawn and the inn was silent, a few patrons shared some bread and cheese before their day officially began. Arslan nodded at the Innkeeper in greeting, before asking;  "Seen my friend around?"    He nodded, pointing towards the door: "She left not too long ago."    Arslan ushered a small "Thanks." before being on her way.    She ignored the haunting images that came to her as she walked the calm streets in search of the vampire, hiding in the shadows of her hood when a guard walked past her.    She walked the mostly empty streets, thinking back to all of the mischief she did back when she just started at the guild. With nostalgia she remembered her family, real family, and wishes that it would all be different.    That she did not find herself in Helgen for a job, watching in boredom as some Imperials and Thalmor decided to execute Ulfric Stormcloak. Wishing that she didn't have the heart to go warn the Jarl of Whiterun of the dragon that had attacked, as the final wish of an imperial soldier, who was burned beyond saving. Wishing she wasn't at the Watchtower when they brought the beast down.Wishing that she didn't absorb his soul .    She still shudders when she thinks back to it. The feeling of swallowing molten gold, having your insides melt and become one with that damned beast. Chest scorching as she resisted the urge to shout when the soldiers cornered her, talking about being dragonborn .    She hates it. Hates that everyone acts like she is supposed to jump head first into an epic fight against the dragons. How many times had the same people thrown her into the dungeon? Whipped the skin off her back and treated her like the scum of the earth? Why would she ever throw away what she built for these people?    She finally had everything she ever wanted. Whole chests filled with gold, the best weapons and armor that one could find, immunity for most of her crimes. A home and...A family.    Arslan clenches her teeth, anger rising within her. Of course, she has to give it all up now. She understands why, she spent enough sleepless nights thinking about it. Trying to find ways out of this mess she was thrown into. But it still wasn't fair.    And now she found a friend. Someone who had her back, who she slowly sees as someone to be trusted.    But that is also going to be taken away from her.     No... It's not going to be taken... It's going to leave . This thought made it so much worse.
Maybe we can run away together... She seems to want to see the world, I need to get away from here and I wouldn't mind the company. She doesn't seem to be happy to go home anyway... 
   Arslan quickly shook her head at the ridiculous thought. What am I thinking. She's not like me, she wouldn't just abandon her family like that.     With a new heaviness in her steps she walks around the city and after half an hour she found her companion, standing tall before the Blue Palace.    Seranas long black hair was hidden away under her hood, and the Elder Scrolls numerous jewels were shining in the early morning sun. She didn't acknowledge her presence, keeping her gaze on the wall.   Arslan absentmindedly thought that they should wrap the scroll in some leather at some point, hiding it from the greedy eyes of some of the town folks.  Then again, not everyone has intentions like mine . The girl thought bitterly, looking up towards the blue roofs of the Palace.    Slowly approaching the Vampire, Arslan snuck a glance at the woman, her mind still fighting with flashes of fire and smoke before catching sight of sharp red eyes.    Her mind was fighting entirely different thoughts all of a sudden, but no less terrifying to her. Her eyes tore themselves away from soft lips and sharp fangs, deciding to stay on some flowers growing up the columns surrounding the entryway. "Arslan? I have to ask you something." Serana spoke, breaking the silence between them but not once looking her in the eyes. "Sure, go ahead. Is something wrong?" Arslan asked, hoping that she would not bring up what happened last night, while watching some familiar looking nobles passing them. Serana shook her head, almost regretfully. "No. That's the problem."    Arslan directed her confused gaze towards her. The vampire had a strange look in her eyes. She couldn't decipher it. Sadness was the first word that came to her mind as she stole a glance at her solemn eyes. "What do you mean? Why is that a problem?" She asked, trying to understand what she meant."It's just... this makes everything so much harder." She said, crossing her arms and facing her. Her eyes betrayed the vampire's inner conflict. "You wanted to leave Skyrim... isn't that so? Tell me why. What are you running from? Maybe if I understood, it would be easier."    Arslan looked at her in bewilderment, feeling her guts clench again at the thought of confessing everything. Easier? Easier to do what?     Stuck in a vicious circle of fear and confusion, the wolf didn't answer. Serana started to frown in impatience, she was lost, she needed answers. She was sick that everyone kept things from her. "Answer me, Arslan." She asked again, more firmly. "What have you done that is so bad that your wanted poster is hanging everywhere around the city? I've overheard guards talking about you... nothing they said made any sense. So what did you do?"    Arslan almost cringed at the tone, she completely forgot about them to be honest. She had naively hoped that Serana wouldn't ask questions about them. Hoped that she wouldn't find out... What she really is.Or rather, what people want her to be."I..." She started, choking on her words. She tried to lie, one last time. "I'm the head of Skyrim's thieves guild. So the posters are nothing unusual-" "You know that's not what I meant." Serana cut her mind sentence, sighing in frustration. "I'm not stupid, I know that your blood isn't just human, or werewolf. There's something else, so tell me; What is it?" 
What are you?

Dovahkiin 
   Arslan looked down, not knowing what to say. It almost felt like there was a knot forming in her throat, keeping the words... the truth, from spilling out.   Her eyes started stinging with unshed tears but she forced them down as soon as they came. She wouldn't let them fall. She wouldn't give in to the pressure. She would stand tall until the end. No matter what Serana will say, or do to her.    The last thought alone made her nauseous.    She swallowed it down, together with her fear, anger and remorse.    Everything she tried to run from eventually caught up to her.    She was going to lose her. But that's fine, she thought. She didn't care anyway. Green flames took over her mind and she winced. She didn't care . "I... I'm..." She cursed herself as she stumbled over her words. Taking in a deep breath, she tried to calm her racing heart to no avail. "People... believe that I'm dragonborn." She breathed out, low enough so that no one but the vampire could hear. Now she was just waiting. Waiting for the vampire to lash out at her, scream at her, hurt her... leave her.    Her eyes widened but she didn't let anything else show in her blood red gaze. She kept staring at the wolf with an unreadable expression.    Arslan resisted the urge to shift uncomfortably on her feet, awaiting her reaction was killing her, but she wouldn't let it show. Serana wasn't the only one who could put on a mask. Was she mad? Disappointed? She couldn't tell, but she would be damned if Serana could see the fear in her. "You're dragonborn... as in you have the soul of a dragon?" Serana asked, watching the wolf as she nodded slowly. "That's what they say..." She said, not quite managing to keep the bitterness out of her voice as she looked away from her. "That's why they're looking for you..." Serana wondered, watching the wolf as she crossed her arms. "The dragons came back, from what I understand. And you are the dragonborn... but why are they after you? What do they want from you?"    Arslan shrugged, pulling her hood over her eyes, hoping that the leather would stop Seranas intense stare. "They want me to defeat them. Well, they want me to stop Alduin."    Serana didn't let it show but was at a loss for words, the tale of Alduin was a myth, a children's tale. The woman was barely out of her teens and they wanted her to slay this beast? Alone? "Alduin... the World Eater?" She breathes out, as it saying it any other way would suffice to summon the beast.    She nodded: "He is able to bring the dragons back to life. They want me to absorb their souls when I slay them, to learn their shouts and to use them to defeat him."    Arslan was frowning now, the mask was slowly crumbling down as she tried in vain to contain the anger she felt towards the situation they put her in. Who were they to ask such things of her? They have armies fighting against each other over some stupid title out there. Why can't they take the fight to the dragons instead?    Seranas words snapped her out of her inner turmoil: "So that's why you want to leave. You don't see why it should be your burden to bear."    There was no malice in her voice. No judgment or resentment in her eyes as Arslan nodded slowly, refusing this task.    Finally, she could see something more than indifference in her scarlet eyes. "They never gave me a chance to make an honest life for myself." Arslan spat out, glaring up at the walls of the Palace, housing the people who time after time again refused to help her create a new beginning. Her walls came tumbling down with every rage filled word that left her mouth. "I was starving on the streets, and they would walk by me, treating me like a dog, asking me to service them and beating me when I refused. I was nothing before I met the gang in Riften. I once was thrown into jail because I stole some bread that fell into the mud, they whipped me for two days before letting me go."    Seranas stomach sank at the thought of a young Arslan being beaten for trying to survive off of some dirty bread. Hate and anger slowly dissipated into despair as the Imperial choked out: "The only people that treated me like a human being at that time was the family that took me in in Morthal and the guild."    She couldn't look at her, too ashamed to face her. But the Vampire understood. No one helped her, she had to leave behind the only people who did, and not by choice from what she gathered. She was lonely, hurt, lost and terrified beneath the walls she had built. Now that they found out that she was dragonborn they acted like she owned them her life. With a sad sigh she gently put a hand on Arslans shoulder."I understand, Arslan. Being caught in a war where you don't want to have a part in. It's not fair." Serana said, and felt relieved when Arslan finally looked up at her. "This life is yours. It's your decision. Nobody can make this choice for you. I'm glad you told me, I understand now." 
Why you are so guarded. So careful. Untrusting.

Why your blood tastes the way it does...

Father must not find out. 
   Serana knew her father, he would see her as a weapon. Being a werewolf would already make her nothing more than glorified cattle in his eyes. But being a werewolf and dragonborn ? He would keep her and suck her dry for as long as she manages to live. Which knowing him, wouldn't be for very long. She won't let him hurt her. Not after what she just told her.The part about servicing still made her blood boil.    Arslan only nodded halfheartedly, feeling lighter now that she knew that Serana wasn't thinking any less of her. She had always been too ashamed to tell anyone of her pathetic life before becoming a thief. But somehow she didn't mind Serana knowing, she actually felt a little lighter now. "Yeah... I apologize for not having told you. I was trying to deny it for as long as I could." Arslan said, a small frown tugging on the corner of her lips. "Didn't really work out well for me huh?" "It's alright, Arslan. I get how difficult this must be for you." Serana said, leading them away from the Palace towards the inn. "Sometimes people just leave you with no choice..."    Arslan tensed up, thinking back to her old pack back in Cyrodiil and clenching her hands so hard that her knuckles turned pale, she mumbled under her breath; "No... sometimes they don't."    Once they arrived at the inn, the air between them was clearer. But when they packed up their supplies to leave Solitude, both of them knew that their next destination would bring them apart. Serana still hasn't found a reason to make this choice easier. If anything, she desperately wanted to keep traveling with the woman. But she couldn't. She had to find her mother, and the only one who could possibly know where she was, would never let her pursue that wish.He would hurt her. And she would never let him. They had to part ways. They both knew it.And yet... It was something that neither of them would ever be ready for.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The sound of waves crashing against the rocks and the ships filled the silence between the two adventurers as they walked down towards the docks. Both were lost in thoughts, as they descended the wooden stairs towards the ships.    Arslan knew that her chance to escape it all was finally within reach. All she needed was to bring Serana back, sneak on a boat, and catch a ride to wherever the wind would blow. She knew that it was what she wanted ever since she left Riften all those weeks ago, and yet... It didn't feel as freeing as she hoped it would.In fact... her chains felt heavier than ever.    While Arslan was fighting with herself, Serana had a war of her own on her mind.   This would be it, once they found a ferryman to take her home, and once Arslan got her gold, they would both go their separate ways, never to see each other again. Serana felt a certain tightness in her chest... She despised it.    This woman was the first real friend she made since becoming what she is now. Her being a werewolf, a thief, dragonborn... she did not care about any of it. She let her drink from her blood when she needed to, even without knowing her intentions. Sure, she had a plan from the beginning but now she liked to think she didn't care about the gold anymore. Well... as much as least. These past days, Arslans eyes wandered more towards her than the Scroll too. She could feel them on her when they went through the market yesterday, smiling when she couldn't contain her excitement.    She would miss it. Miss her. There was no denying it. Serana knew that she took a liking to the wolf, and that it was reciprocated by her. The nature of this attraction was still unclear to her, but it was obvious that they grew close.   She almost didn't want to talk to the sailor that would bring her home. She still forced the bitter tasting words out of her mouth, telling him where she needed to go.    The sailor scoffed at her words: "The one with the ruined castle? That place is cursed you know." A dirty grin took over the old man's features as he scanned the vampire up and down. "I could take you... for a special price." Serana frowned in annoyance, thinking about impaling the man with one of her ice spears. Thankfully before she could act out her thoughts, Arslan stepped in."Listen here, and listen well." She growls out those words making the man look down at her in surprise.  Before he could retort, she grabbed him by the collar of his rugged shirt, bringing him down to her height. "My friend here needs to get to this Island. You will take us there. And you will do it for free. Or else I will bind you to a rock and throw you to the bottom of the ocean."    The man tried to thrash out of her grip to no avail before spitting on her armor, snaring curses at her; "You good for nothing wrench, I'll have the guards throw you into the dungeo-" Serana stepped in at that moment. And she was livid.    She took one step towards him, fierce red eyes glowing dangerously as she put her hand on Arslans shoulder. The wolf was about to go through with her menace but stopped dead in her tracks when Serana grabbed a hold of her. Her eyes were glowing a dangerous shade of dark red, and Arslan let go of him moments before Serana took him by the throat.    The man started coughing and choking as the vampire tightened her grip on him. The veins on his neck and temple started swelling and soon turned into a cruel shade of blue.    Arslan stepped back, wiping the spit from her armor while Serana started to murmur under her breath. The man's eyes turned red briefly before he stills.    When she let him go abruptly, he fell unceremoniously to the ground, not one sound escaping his purple lips.    Arslan was about to comment on the state of the sailor but before she could form any words, he got back up. His eyes were blank, almost lifeless, if Arslan were honest...    As soon as he got back up, he turned around and got into his small boat, taking the paddles into his calloused hands, waiting patiently for the other two to get in. "Uhhh... Serana? What did you do?" Arslan asked, shooting a nervous glance towards her companion as she graciously got on board. "Just a little innocent seduction, nothing more." She responded before extending a hand towards her.  That's seduction ? Looks more like serious traumatizing to me... Preferring keeping her thoughts to herself, the wolf took her hand before moving to get on.    Just as she set her feet down a wave crashed into the side of the small boat, making her lose her newly acquired footing and sending her falling right off the edge. Expecting to be met with ice cold water she braced herself for the incoming impact. The cold never came. At least not in the way that she expected it to.    One firm hand on her hip and one on the small of her back were steadying her, keeping her from falling any further over the edge. Red. She was lost in a sea of red.    Serana kept staring at the wolf, taking in her baffled look. Arslan had unconsciously grabbed the garnement on her shoulders as she fell... They were so close .    Serana reflexively tightened her grip on her as the boat gently rocks back and forth. She was almost pressed flush against her.    She could count the number of freckles on the other woman's face if she wanted to. But as charming as they were, something else had caught her eyes. Green. It was the first time that the vampire noticed the green undertones in the wolf's eyes. Eyes like a forest. Quietly observing the newly found trait, she had to repress the urge to lick her suddenly dry lips as she noticed the tan skin being taken over by a lovely shade of red.  Oh ... Serana couldn't hold back the smirk that came over her as the realization hit her. 
I see.

What an interesting turn of events this is.
Meanwhile... To say that Arslan's mind was racing would be an understatement.    She hoped that the surprise on her face would mask the blush that crept up all the way from her neck.    It felt like holes were being burned through the leather as Seranas hands held her up effortlessly. Her initial surprise slowly faded away, leaving her impressed by the woman's fast reflexes.  Yes ... Impressed, that's what I am.     Mere seconds felt like minutes as she stared up at her. Her eyes had turned dark, and Arslan could see the subtle way her jaw clenched as she studied her. Then a smirk.    It felt like someone had lit a match in her stomach, even though she had never felt a burning like this before. It felt like a cinder had fallen into a pile of hay that was drying in the summer sun. It was fast, powerful, intense... and wouldn't be stopped until every last straw was reduced to nothing but ash. She couldn't muster the strength to look away.  Damn those eyes .    Suddenly, Serana pulled her up, making the wolf stumble right into her, giving her the opportunity to slip her arm around her waist, pulling her flush against her. Their faces were inches apart and Serana felt a certain sense of pride as Arslan blush deepened. Her grip on her shoulders only strengthened as the boat rocked with the sudden movement.    The vampire's eyes were filled with playfulness. Watching her companion try not to squirm at their proximity gave her more satisfaction than she would ever admit. But all things must come to an end. In this case it came in the form of a careful but firm push.    Serana gently let go of the woman as she tried to put some distance between them. Which wasn't much, knowing they were standing in a rowboat. But the wolf tried nonetheless, managing to put at least a few inches more between them before looking back at her, trying to hide her embarrassment."Thanks." She chokes out, not trusting her voice to say anything else. 
Why did you look at me like that?

Why did you hold me like that?
   Her mind was drowning in questions she didn't know the answers to. She felt out of her domain, usually she was quick to say something sarcastic and snarky but right now she was positively at a loss for words. Thankfully the vampire took pity on her. "No problem. I didn't mean to startle you, I apologize." She said, watching intently as the woman sat down on one of the benches of the boat.    She did feel sorry for teasing the girl, she was clearly a little shaken even if she desperately tried to not let it show. Which amuses Serana even more. "It's fine. I wasn't expecting it, that's all." She responded, and feigned indifference as she put down her bag of supplies at her feet. 
She's trying to act nonchalant... How cute. 
   Serana smirked before deciding to let the poor girl recover from what happened. Sending a quick look towards the old man who was waiting to depart, she nodded. Almost immediately he started to lead them away from the port. The paddles breaking the calm water with a regularity that seemed almost mechanical.    Arslan was still silent by the time that Solitude became but a distant silhouette over the horizon, and Serana was starting to wonder if she went to far before. Arslan was the first to break the silence after a few more moments; "So... This will be it."   Serana almost froze up at her words. Hearing it out loud was a lot harder than just thinking about it. Swallowing the lump that formed itself in her throat, she responded cooly; "Yes. Seems like it."There was so much she wanted to say. 
Thank you.

I've had fun.

It means a lot that you stuck around to help me.

You like me don't you?

I... 
Serana looked away from the wolf, scared that it might accidentally slip out. 
We'll be parting ways in a matter of moments. I won't complicate things for her.

She hasn't even realized it yet. I won't leave her confused like this. She deserves better. 
   Arslan looked in the water, watching her blurry form change with each wave. She's been feeling like this often these past days. She felt like everyday, every hour, she became someone new. Someone she doesn't recognize. She used to fear change. Change means losing something safe. Something familiar. All of this... it was new. And yet...It felt safe. It felt familiar.    She puts a hand into the water, feeling the cold climb from her fingertips to her palm to her wrist. Her reflection became unrecognizable. Somehow, the sight made something tighten painfully in her chest. "I'm used to traveling alone, you know?" She murmured, over the sound of the sea.    The vampire watched her carefully, and before the wolf could carry on she softly asked; "Did it bother you? Me tagging along, I mean." The wolf took a moment to ponder over the question. Did it bother her? No. It was something else. Something she couldn't quite place yet. But it wasn't bothersome.    She would sometimes do jobs with people from her crew, it wasn't bothersome either. It was different, having company as she sat under the starry night. Having the silence filled by easy flowing words, none carrying any serious meaning to them. White noise.    But with Serana... It was different. She was different. Her phrases captivated her attention instead of boring her like some stories told in the dark by her guild members. So what was it? "I don't know..." Serana hid the disappointment that threatened to betray her gaze, instead, she breathes out a gentle; "I see."But Arslan quickly followed suite, noticing the subtle change in the vampire's mood. "I don't mean it in a bad way." She corrected herself, averting her eyes as Serana stared at her intently. "I don't think that it bothers me, in the beginning maybe... But now I... I feel-"    The Wolf bit her lip, feeling uncharacteristically unsure, she took a deep breath before carrying on; "I like having you along. I'm just not used to it, I rarely have someone watching my back and I... I feel useful, I guess." Serana arches a curious brow at the confession. Seeing the woman struggling to reply earnestly was new. Usually she would feign nonchalance and say the first thing that would fit this careless persona that she so carefully built. "Useful?" She silently asked, as the noise of the paddles hitting the water filled the silence between the two wanderers.    Arslan swallowed once. She felt like her throat was too tight, like her ribcage was closing in on her, crushing and squeezing her insides uncomfortably; "I desperately try to never have any responsibilities chained to me. Not that you're my responsibility!" She adds quickly, before continuing her train of thought. "It's just... I haven't felt the need to look out for someone, besides me, in a long time." Serana's eyes widen for a moment before she sighs gently at the younger woman. What a stubborn girl... "I'm glad then." The vampire says, letting her eyes wander on Arslan's face. The girl had the beginning of a blush creeping up her cheeks, as she kept averting her gaze. "I feel the same. I'm used to being alone, but with you... I'm not as lonely anymore." Serana confessed in turn.    Arslan seemed surprised at that. She turned to look her in the eyes for the first time in a while; "Do you feel that way often? Lonely, I mean..."    Serana chuckled a bit before responding; "My parents didn't really like me going out. And there's only so much to do and so many people to talk to on a small island. But if I'm being honest... I don't feel that way as much anymore."    Arslan seemed thoughtful for a moment, so even Serana got lonely sometimes. The woman was strong, confident, intimidating even, she didn't strike the wolf as someone who craved the company of others, and yet... She was pulled out of her thoughts as the vampire followed up with a question of her own; "What about you?" Arslan was taken aback for a split second, forgetting what it was that she originally asked. "What about me?" She questioned, and Serana rolled her eyes at her, playfully. 
What an airhead.
"Do you feel lonely sometimes?" She asked, carefully watching as the wolf's expression morphed into one of uneasiness. "I..." 
No.

Yes.

Always. 
"I'm used to being alone." She muttered softly over the sound of the sea. Bringing her knees to her chest, she held them close as she looked over the vast ocean. Her eyes betrayed her once again. Sadness, melancholy, regret, they all crossed her hazel eyes like a storm as she softly rested her cheek against her leather clad arm, dark hair falling like a veil over her unguarded expression.    Serana almost reaches out for the wolf's hand, deciding against it as she watches the wolf close in on herself. The walls she carefully built around herself getting higher, sturdier. 
I can't be there for her.

Not when I'm about to leave, I won't hurt her like this, she deserves better then to be abandoned. 
  With a clenched jaw and tightly formed fists, the vampire held her tongue the rest of the short ride. She would not allow herself to be another painful memory to her. The woman had enough of those. She wants to save her. Desperately so, for whatever reason that might be. But can she even afford the chance to try? 
Arslan... 
 
I'm sorry.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The boat jerked roughly as they finally hit the shoreline.     The intimidating sight hovered over the small party as the two women got out, glad to finally stand on dry and sturdy land.    Arslan was tongue tied at the sight. The dark walls, lined with gargoyles and ancient carvings, had her neck craned towards the sky as she took in the morbid home. "That's you home...?" She asked, not quite managing to keep the impressed edge out of her tone. Serana sighed before replying somberly; "Yes. Home sweet... castle."    In truth she had always hated her home. It felt like it came right out of a children's story book. The scary vampires that lived in a black castle on an abandoned island... How cliché. "It's... really dramatic." Arslan blurted out, her mouth, once again, being too fast for her brain. "I mean-" She backtracked quickly; "It's nice! Pretty big, I like what you guys did with the...Gargoyles."    The vampire chucked at the girl's words. Amusement danced in her red eyes as she took in the wolf's embarrassed look. "It's something, alright." The wolf smiled at the vampire, nervously kicking the humid dirt under her boots. "Guess I wasn't so wrong then... Calling you princess and all." Serana shook her head at the ridiculous woman; "I'm really far from one... I hope you don't really think that of me. This whole thing, well, it's not really me."    Arslan picked up on the subtle sadness laced in the older woman's words. Truly, she didn't see her as some girl sitting in her castle all day, far from it. Putting a comforting hand on her shoulder, she grinned before saying; "Hey... Don't worry about that. You're far too mad to be one of those fairy tail princesses. Don't go thinking so highly of yourself now."   Serana rolled her eyes at the woman's teasing, shaking off the warm hand that had rested on her shoulder before answering jokingly;"Speak for yourself, you criminal. We have a dungeon somewhere in there, you know? Mind your words."Glad that the vampire was back to teasing her, the wolf's grin only widened. Bowing in front of her, she jokes; "Yes Ma'am." "That's more like it." The vampire looked back to the gate blocking the front door, before turning towards the wolf with a strange kind of urgency that Arslan hadn't seen her with before. "Listen... I really don't want you going in there." The wolf's eyes widened in confusion at her words. "Too soon to meet the family?" She responded with a nervous chuckle, making Serana shake her head in exasperation. Leave it to her to make jokes in such situations."My father... He's not someone you could consider a nice person." Arslan waited with rapt attention as she noticed the vampire clench her jaw while she chose her next words carefully; "He can be a bit... single minded sometimes. Once he puts his mind to something, it's impossible to get him to let go of it.""Sounds like someone I know..." Arslan mumbles teasingly, making the woman smirk briefly. "I'm tame, compared to him. No, it's... Just stay here for a moment, alright? I'll be back shortly... with your payment."
Right. I almost forgot about that.

Wait... What? 
   Arslan was positively taken aback by the fleeting thought. That's the reason she agreed to this little errand. And yet... She felt more concerned for the vampire than for her pay. 
What's happening with me exactly...? 
"I... Sure. No problem, I'll be here." She said and Serana shot her a grateful look before turning around to start walking towards the rusty gate. "Wait!" Arslan shouted urgently, extending her hand towards her. The woman turned around, questioningly looking at the hand that reached for her before her eyes fell on her companion. "What is it?"    Arslan looks at the ground for a moment, sighing as she gathers the courage to meet her gaze and force out the words she had been meaning to say. "Are you alright...?" 
What's gotten into me? 
Arslan was about to apologize for holding her back, but the vampire only smiled. Such a gentle, sad, smile. "I will be. Thank you, Arslan."   And then she went up the bridge, a new confidence seeping into her steps, leaving the wolf behind, her previously extended hand dropping unceremoniously to her side. 
...I...I don't want you to go. 
   The thought hit her like harder than a giant's club. What was she thinking? She was leaving, she had to! It was the only way to get rid of her imposed mission. Why was she getting so attached to her? She barely knew her. Right...? 
Who am I kidding... I know more about her than I know about anyone else.

She gets sad when she thinks about her family. Mad, when anyone questions her abilities. She cares about me even when I wouldn't care about myself.

She cares. 
The realisation felt like a rock falling into still water. An arrow to the chest. A punch to the gut. 
I care.

I care about her. 
   Arslan hasn't felt that way in a very long time. It almost felt foreign to her. Caring about someone, something, other than herself. She was messed up. She knew she was. She had left her whole past behind her, spent a whole life running away. Running from her past, from her responsibilities, from the people who dared breaking down the walls she had spent her whole life building up. She was selfish, greedy, stubborn, cocky, and yet... She cared. About a woman, a vampire, she just met. 
What am I going to do... 
Hands clenched until they drew blood.The red drips unto the dead grass beneath her, seeping into the dirt like a poisonous dagger. 
I'll do what I can do best.

oOo "Serana. My dear daughter... Welcome back home." 
Home... right. 
   The room she stood in would never be her home. It was far too big and far too empty, except for some expensive tapestries and century old furniture.    The light from the enchanted chandeliers illuminate the man that stood in front of her. His cruel eyes haven't changed in all these years and his acting skills still left to be desired. "Hello father." She responded curtly over the table guests hushed whispers as they filled the room. The smell of blood hung heavy in the air, some of tonight's feast moaning occasionally as her father's lackeys helped themselves to them. 
We don't need to eat human flesh... We don't even need to kill them to drink their blood and yet...

They are behaving like beasts simply for the sake of it. 
   Her father could be considered a handsome man. He had been, as far as she can remember, before they got turned. His deep red eyes bore into hers, and she could see the cogs turning in his head as he kept going; "I was worried about you when my coven said that all that was left inside the cave was ash..."
You mean you were worried about the scroll... 
"I'm fine, father." She snapped back, noticing how his eyes sharpened at her tone; "I have the scroll. Where is mother?" He barely managed to keep himself from growling at her mention. His hands forming fists on the diner table. "That wretched woman is gone." Serana frowned as he viciously kept ranting about her mother. "I don't know where that traitor went after she stole the scroll and abandoned our coven."    She bit her tongue and a metallic taste filled her senses. She couldn't go against him. Not right now at least. She was outnumbered, and even if Arslan were with her, she didn't think that they could take the whole coven with just the two of them. So she stood silent."But enough of that... Tell me, my dear-" She felt her stomach churn at the pet name. "How come that several men of my highest rank have been turned to ash? I know you prefer to use ice incantations, so... Tell me the truth."    Serana reflexively straightened up, she knew of the threat that was hiding behind his words if she were to lie to him. But she couldn't tell him, not the whole truth at least. "A rogue pyromancer found the cave in search of treasures, but when they found me instead and saw the scroll I carried, they wanted me to hand it over. I made them my thrall, so that I had someone to guide me back to you, father."
He can't find out that Arslan is dragonborn, he would enslave her. 
"And where is that thrall right now? I think it would only be acceptable if they participated in our festivities, since they killed my men." The guests whispered excitedly among themselves at the prospect of another fresh human on their table. "They're gone." Serana cursed the urgency that slipped out in her tone. "I threw them out of the boat on the way here as... revenge, for what they did to our brethren." Serana lied quickly while meeting the steady gaze of her father. "I see... What a shame." She held back a sigh of relief as he seemed to be satisfied by her answer. "It would have been good eating, but I can't blame you." He suddenly clapped his hands, making Serana flinch as the harsh sound resonates in the vast chamber."Now, Serana dearest, join us! For we are one step closer to the restoration of our kind's greatness!"    The vampires hollered in excitement, and Serana was left in this cruel cacophony, staring at the man she once saw as her father, falling deeper into madness with every passing day. She had to keep Arslan safe. She won't lose anyone else to this madness.She has to stop him. “Thank you, father. But alas, I have already eaten today, and the journey has me wishing for some rest.” She said, watching his mask slowly crumble down as he got more and more irritated by her attitude.“Fine. You may leave, for now. I expect you to leave the scroll in my office, before retreating into your chambers.” His tone didn’t leave any room for objections, so the woman just nodded curtly before heading out of the dinner hall.   Slipping into the shadows, she makes her way through the dusty corridors towards her old bedroom, clutching the scroll tightly in her hands. She had a whole strongbox filled to the brim with jewelry and precious stones standing on her nightstand, courtesy of her parent's futile ways to bribe her into hating the other.   Serana walked into the room and noticed that, except for a thick layer of dust covering her belongings, it had been left untouched. For some reason, this made the woman angry. Everything stayed the same. Her books were still stacked neatly on her desk, old clothes were still hanging in the closet and the hairbrush her mother gave her when she was but a girl, still laid in front of the mirror that her father himself carried into her room all these years ago. Nothing had changed. And yet, it still somehow got worse.    Her father had dozens of thralls at his disposal and not once did he care to make her room presentable for when she came back? Did he give up hope? Or did he just didn't care? 
Why am I even wondering... After all, I already know the answers. 
   She shook her head of these poisonous thoughts and looked for the small treasure chest, quickly finding its dust covered form on one of the nightstands near her bed.    Urgently, she grabs it before she goes back down, hiding in the shadows as she makes her way to the exit and goes back out to the shore. Her father would be careless after her arrival with the scroll and he wouldn't question the fact that she left it in his room, so she wasn’t worried about anyone checking on her for the next few hours.   Still her mind is swarming with thousands of thoughts as she crosses the bridge, past the ruined gargoyles. What would she do now? He doesn’t know where her mother is either, and even though she didn’t trust either of them, her mother would still be the better choice between the two. She might know how to stop his cruel plan from becoming reality.   The vampire felt the salty air prick at her pale skin as she heard water splashing followed by a string of muttered curses, effectively breaking her out of her train of thoughts instantly.   Arslan was rushing the boat back into the water, fighting against the waves as they pushed her back towards the shoreline, urgently pushing the humid wood and swearing as the cold water seeped through her pants, soaking her up to her thighs with freezing water.“Come on! By the gods, why is this so hard?!” Arslan swore as she was pushed back a few feet once again. That’s when she heard Serana inhale sharply behind her.Turning around to be met with enraged red eyes, she stuttered out a shaky. “S-Serana... I-”“You were just going to leave?!” The Vampire shouted, stomping towards the woman, into the water, her furious tone making Arslan flinch and lose her footing momentarily.   With a surprised yelp the Wolf got pushed back once again, falling back into the shallow waters. She didn’t have time to curse as the cold water washed over her. Pushing back her soaked hair, the woman was met with the vampire hovering over her. Her eyes were stormier than the sea, and her fury was hitting Arslan harder than any wave ever could.   The boat had been pushed back all the way to the shore, effectively leaving her with no other option to escape. Now Arslan was left to deal with Seranas wrath as the water kept washing up against her back.  Her arms were struggling to hold most of her upper body out of the water, and she could barely feel her fingertips anymore, but none of that could compare to the pain she felt as she watched Seranas usual gentle and teasing gaze turn into one of pure anger and disappointment.+“How could you plan to just leave... You wouldn't even bother to say goodbye?” Her voice alone made Arslan feel like letting the ocean swallow her whole. Anything to get out of this situation she put herself into. “I-... I can’t-” Arslan started getting up but she was interrupted by Serana roughly pushing her back into the water.“Am I really that unimportant to you?! After all we went through, you would really pull something like this?” Serana was fuming, and as Arslan went to move again she put her foot on her chest, pushing the wolf further into the icy waters.   Arslan winced as the heel of the vampire's boot dug sharply into her before the tip lifted her chin up, so that she was met with unusual cold red eyes. “So tell me...” Serana said with barely contained anger. “Why would you up and leave so suddenly? What were you thinking exactly?"Arslan tensed up at the question.What was she thinking?   While moving to get the boat out into the water again, it felt like an arrow had lodged it’s way into her body. She couldn’t think about anything else other than leaving. Leaving would be safe. Leaving would mean no consequences. No attachment, no pain, no nothing. Just her. Surviving like she did for all these years.So why did each step into the water hurt ?She cares about her.She likes her, more than she liked anyone before.
Dammit... I really screwed up.
   The foot under her chin lifted her head up higher, making Arslan wince again and crane her neck up uncomfortably. “Well? I deserve an answer. You owe me that at least.”Arslan clenched her jaw before looking away, watching the waves pass her.“I... Yes. You do.” She finally uttered, defeated, as Serana impatiently raised a brow, waiting for the girl to tell her the truth.   As much as she hoped that running away would solve her problems, she knows that this time would be different. Because Serana is... different.The tip of the vampire's boot still dug painfully into her chin as she confessed; “I like you.”   Serana's face didn't betray any emotion or thought that might have been running through her mind as Arslan uttered these silent words over the rushing of the water. The Wolf was terrified.    It wasn't the same feeling she had felt before, the one she had felt when she was trapped inside a bear den for days. The one she had felt when she was exiled from her pack and had to survive on her own for the first time in her life.    This fear struck deeper than anything she felt before. Like standing on the edge of a cliff, looking down into darkness and feeling an invisible force push her over the edge, step by step, until the next meets nothingness.    The words keep spilling over her lips. That feeling, that force pushes them out painfully, slowly, as to make her suffering last as long as possible. "I... don't want to part ways with you."    Serana slowly takes her foot away from the soaked girl, causing her to let her head fall down and finally letting her escape the vampire's gaze. "I never... felt this way before. Cared about someone more than myself. And yet..."She lifts her brown orbs back up, meeting softened red staring back at her. "And yet, I don't want to lose you. I don't want to leave you behind, not even for all the gold in Tamriel."Arslan choked out, tearing up as she kept ripping the words out of her wretched soul. "Back in that tomb, I wasn't the one who saved you." The steady sound of the crashing waves almost swallowed up the sound of her voice. "You're the one who saved me."   With a clenched jaw, the girl looks into the water splashing softly against her chest. Now there wasn't any wall left standing, no mask providing protection against Seranas judgment. Only the truth hung on her lips as she waited for the woman's response. 
If she would even bother with one. After all, I showed her once again what kind of coward I truly am. 
"Arslan." Serana said, her voice firm but gentle. "Stand up."    The woman in question raised her head at the soft-spoken command, before standing up on wobbly feet.   Her joints were frozen, and even with her magic to warm her up she couldn't keep herself from stumbling as her body disobeyed her mind.    Waiting to be met with the cold once again, she instead feels a careful hand holding her up by the small of her back before being swept up out of the waters.    Serana held her close to her for a few moments before making her way back to the shoreline, her gaze fixed straight forward.    Arslan almost forgot how to breathe as the vampire carried her back. What exactly was the vampire doing? Why was she still holding her so gently, after all of this?    Serana held the girl tighter as she stepped out of the water. This foolish girl... Why was it so hard for her to be honest with herself? What happened to her to be so scared to let people get close? She didn't understand. But she knew that it would be hypocrisy to say that she didn't feel something similar, if not deeper, for the wolf.    She could be so difficult to handle, but her rare moments of unbothered happiness made it worth the trouble, the patience . She wants to protect her, to have her rely on her, to trust her with everything she has. She wants to see that silly smirk she does when she manages to steal a thing as simple as an apple.    She was still mad at her, for trying to leave. Serana knows that she gets... protective about things she cares about. Maybe even a little too protective.    But this woman. This young girl, barely out of her teens, never had anyone take care of her. Not in this way at least.    She was so used to doing things on her own. Living for the sake of pure survival, up until now. No strings holding her down.    But now... she told the vampire that she liked her. She still didn't completely know if the girl truly understood the nature of her feelings, but the fact that she at least acknowledged it, was a huge deal in Seranas eyes. She was opening up to new feelings. To her.    And even when the wolf didn't know it yet, Serana had a sneaking suspicion that she might like her just a little bit more than she is letting on.    Truth is, Serana was feeling overwhelmed. She didn't expect the wolf to confess her thoughts. She didn't even expect her to say anything at all. She thought that she would just try and make a run for it again.    She almost felt like she had to take responsibility. She was the one who decided to get. .. closer to the wolf. She knew she shouldn't have. That it would only cause them both pain when they decide to part ways. But now... Arslan wants her to stay. 
I would... In a heartbeat, probably. But my father has to be stopped. 
   Serana went to lower the young wolf unto the ground, but a metallic clang rang through the air, stopping her in her tracks. The gate to the castle was opening.    Cursing under her breath, Serana tightened her hold again before using her vampiric speed to get them both away from the castle entrance. Running around the fort, she hastily moves towards the old docking area of the island. It hasn't been used in centuries before she was locked away, and it seemed that it was still the case. The stones were covered in algae from the high tides and none but a few skeletons roamed the area.    Sneaking past the skeletons, the vampire moved to get inside the castle sewer system, closing the door behind them before locking it from the inside using a spell her mother had taught her during her descent into hatred.    Arslan had stayed silent the whole time, letting her body lean limply against the other woman as if trying to make her presence unknown.   Serana sighed in relief as she didn't hear anything on the other side of the door. They would be safe here.    Looking down towards the woman in her arms she carefully moves her towards the opposite wall, next to a staircase leading down towards the door to the old sewers, and sets her down so that she is leaning against the stone. "Arslan." Serana broke the silence.    The young girl was still shivering from the cold, but still, she slowly looked up towards the vampire as she went to kneel down in front of her. "Here." She uttered as she pulled her cloak off, putting it around the wolf to warm her up. The wolf only muttered a small "Thanks." before averting her eyes. "Serana... I-" She started, before stopping herself. What could she possibly say?    Her mind was blank except for the fact that the vampire held her close just a few moments ago.    Before she could form a coherent thought, Seranas soft voice interrupted her; "I do not wish to part ways with you either."Arslan's eyes widened in surprise, scared that she might have not heard her right. Before she could ask her to repeat herself, the vampire kept going;  "I have gotten quite fond of you myself. Even if you tried to leave without a word."   The last part still held some harshness to it, and Arslan would have averted her eyes in shame had she not been so surprised by the vampire's words. 
Fond... of me? 
"Serana... I'm sorry." She finally managed to get out. "I wasn't thinking, I didn't mean to make you upset.""I know." Serana sighs, exasperated with the wolf. "But you have to promise me to never do something like that again. Is that clear?" "Again?" Arslan asked, holding the other woman's cloak tighter against herself. "Yes. Since we're going to stick together, I need to be sure that you won't try to leave like this again." Serana said, her eyes boring into the ones of the wolf.Arslan was shell-shocked. Stick together? That would mean one of two things.    Either she would stay with Serana, which would mean staying in Skyrim and spending her time running away from her blood. The thought alone made her stomach churn. Or... Serana would leave with her.  "Serana... Come with me. We could leave together, you wouldn't have to worry about your family anymore, you could be adventuring the whole world, no one would go after us!"   Arslan looked at her with hopeful eyes and a shaky smile, trying to seem confident in the other's response.   But the vampire only shook her head sadly before putting a warm hand on the younger girl's cheek. "Arslan... I want to. I would love nothing more than to travel the world with you." She took away her hand, leaving Arslan colder than she ever felt before."But I can't."The wolf knew she couldn't. She wasn't like her. She faced her fears, faced the truth even when she knew it would hurt. "I have to stop my father. I can't let him destroy this beautiful world. You showed me that it was worth fighting for, so that's what I will do." She firmly said, clenching her hands on her bent knees. "I want to spare everyone the pain he will inflict to Skyrim. I need to protect this place, there's still so much I haven't seen yet. Besides..."She turned her gaze back to the wolf, confidence seeping through her red eyes as she said: "No one will be safe. Not me and... Not you.""That's stupid! This place... Hell, this good for nothing world doesn't need to be saved! It would just get destroyed by the next power hungry moron anyway!" Arslan cried, furious hazel boring into patient red. "You've only been awake for a few days! What would you know about the world! It's a horrible place, it's painful, unfair, it doesn't deserve you risking your life for it!" Serana only shook her head at the foolish girl. "I might not have been awake for long. But..." She sights, this girl really has to go and break all her walls... "I want to save it, so that I can keep traveling without fear of what comes tomorrow. Of course, the world can be unfair and unkind... But it can also be beautiful. You showed me this. I want to keep discovering this place."Arslan only clenched her jaw stubbornly, this woman... How could she be so selfishly selfless? Who is she kidding... She likes this side of the vampire. She might even be envious. She's able to care about others, about places that for Arslan would be nothing more than just dirt, trees and clouds. Sighing in return, the wolf shoulders sagged in defeat. "I... I can't say that I agree. I don't think that this place is worth the trouble. I might never think so. But..." She searched for the right words for a few moments, avoiding the vampire's piercing gaze. "I guess... If you want to do this, stop your father and all, I'll be along for the ride. I'm not sure if this hero stuff-" She stops and considers her words: "Actually I know that it won't fit me. But, if you want to see this world, for what it's worth, I'll do my best to help you do that."Arslan meets her eyes again, and for the first time, Serana sees her for what she really is. A reluctant hero.    Trying to be that big bad wolf but failing miserably. Even if she wouldn't admit it, she did care about some things. The way she talked about her guild. About the family that had taken her in. She cared about a stray pup living alone in the woods. She cared about her.    She could act like she didn't, all she wants, but there would always be proof that she did. About some things at least. But that's okay, Serana also only cared about a few things after all... A stubborn wolf, for once. She smiled gently at the girl, putting her hand on her cold shoulder. Truly, she was hopeless... "I meant what I said." She whispered softly. "I've grown fond of you. I want to do this for you too. I can't lose you... you've suffered enough."At those words, it felt like a dam broke inside of the wolf.    Serana would risk her life. She would risk everything by staying and fighting her father, all for this land... For her. Her tears were falling freely now. Serana panicked as the wolf's shoulders shook as she cried in silence. "Hey hey... Don't cry. If you truly want to leave... I won't stop you." She continued and Arslan's throat was feeling painfully tight all of a sudden.    She couldn't let her pursue that plan on her own. She was strong, brave and incredibly smart. But she couldn't possibly do this all on her lonesome.    So Arslan wiped away the tears, and swallowed the lump that had formed in her own throat. She was a coward. She was rotten. She was a criminal. She was a mutt. But in the end... She was nothing if not stubborn.    Putting her own cold hand on the one resting on her shoulder, she watches Seranas eyes widen in surprise at the firm contact. "It's fine..." She started, hoping that her voice didn't sound as shaky to Serana as it did to herself. "I'm going with you... What would you do without your partner to guide you through this adventure? You would get lost the moment you stepped off the island."    She had hoped, prayed to any diety that Arslan would stay, but she still didn't expect her to actually accept to push off her plans of leaving. "You're... staying? Are you sure? You can back out at any moment. I won't be mad. " She was scared, scared that Arslan would change her mind if she said the words aloud. But she had to know. "For now." Arslan said, looking away, instead choosing to look at the stairs leading down towards gods know where. 
Fitting... I don't know where this path will lead either.

But I'm willing to find out.

For Serana.

I'm willing to step off the cliff. 
The vampire suddenly moved towards the woman, engulfing her cold form in a gentle hug. She smelled like old books, ice and deadly flowers. Arslan hoped that she wouldn't hear her heart racing. She would of course. She can hear the sound of her blood pumping through her arteries, after all. "Thank you..." Serana uttered, pressing her face into her wet hair. For once in her life, she felt like she could safely let down her own walls. She was thankful for the wolf. She would stay. 
She's going to stay with me.

I won't be alone...

We won't be alone. 
   Arslan slowly wrapped her own arms around the older woman, squeezing her tightly, not caring that her heart felt like it would break out of her chest. She wouldn't run away anymore.She wouldn't abandon Serana. Not for all the riches in Skyrim. Breathing out in relief, the wolf felt at ease for the first time in years.    She was still terrified. She didn't think about what was to come. But... She knew that, as long as she was with Serana, they would overcome anything this world would throw at them.    What she felt for her was rushed and careless but she never met anyone like her before. No one ever clicked with her that way, she felt at peace when she was with her. Even inside this smelling sewer, she felt satisfied with her life. "Like I said...I can't promise that I'll be any good. But I want to be. I'll help you stop your father, if that's what you're going to do."Serana broke off the hug, choosing to keep her eyes on the wolf the whole time. With a gentle smirk she answered: "I'm sure you'll do just fine.""We'll see about that." Arslan chuckles before considering: "Just one little thing..." "What exactly are we stopping your father from doing?"    Serana barked out a laugh, and Arslan felt herself grinning like a fool at the sound. Somehow the vampire managed to even make that sound elegant and melodic. 
She was in trouble...

The best possible kind of trouble.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Oh...”“It is a lot to take in, I know.” The Sun ?He wants to control the Sun ?What kind of madman would do that?The two adventurers were sitting silently while the wolf processed the new information. “Your father is a nutjob. No offense.” She finally said, rubbing the back of her neck, a nervous tick of hers that Serana found strangely endearing. “None taken.” The vampire chuckles, the woman  didn't know what kind of reaction she had exactly been expecting of her, but she wasn't surprised in the least that her blunt companion would resort to childish insults.“I mean… who would try and control the sun? That's insane!” She kept going, flustered; “Doesn’t he have hobbies? Like… I don't know, did he try knitting?”
Why do I always end up with the power hungry, delusional, narcissistic kind? What’s up with that? 
Turning towards her smirking companion, the distressed wolf asked; “I can still back out right?”Rolling her eyes in return, Serana chuckled darkly before teasingly shooting back; “Coward.”“Hey! Can’t blame me for trying...” She grinned, making the woman chuckle again.“You’re in for the ride now, I’m afraid.” Arslan sighed before letting her head fall down, her dark hair forming a curtain over her face.How Serana longed to brush it to the side… Now now… I have to focus, this is hardly the proper setting to make moves on the poor girl. The Vampire chastised herself. She was glad the woman would stay with her, but she wasn’t about to chase her off by flirting in a sewer. Right… they were still stuck in the castle. “Arslan, I don’t mean to interrupt your internal crisis-”“It’s not a crisi-”“But we have to get out of here. It’s only a matter of time before my father notices that the scroll is gone.” Serana said, hiding the bitter undertone of her voice, of course he would notice that the scroll would be gone first. It’s not like he would even care for her departure as long as he had that damn relic in his grasp.   Lost in thoughts, the vampire didn't notice the concerned look her partner gave her. She knew the vampire enough to know when she was upset, even when she tried to hide it. “Hey… are you okay?” She said tentatively, putting a hand on the vampire's shoulder.  Serana looked at the gloved hand resting there, before turning towards the wolf with a tired smile; “I am. Don’t worry your pretty little head about it.”  Arslan blushed before quickly averting her eyes, scratching her neck again and letting her hand fall limply from the vampire; “Y-yeah good…”  Adorable...  Serana wanted to see more of her embarrassment. But first, they had to get out of here. "Come on, we need to go."  oOo   They were finally back on the mainland, after sneaking back to the boat and rowing back to shore. The sea was calm on their journey, and Serana used the time to think about their next plan of action.   They would need to find a way to read the scroll, and the best way to find out how, would be the College of Winterhold. So that's where they were headed to now.   Tracking through the snow they made their way back to Solitude first. The fresh layer crunched under their feet as they walked along the shore and thankfully, the sun was hiding behind thick grey clouds.   They stayed mostly silent during their trip, safe for some light conversation about their plan to stop Harkkon.   Serana didn't mind the comfortable silence that hung over them, instead choosing to watch the wolf as she walked some feet ahead of her. What a turn of events this was.   Never would she have imagined that they would be joining forces against her ill minded father, especially after their frosty first meeting.   It was hard to imagine that they came this far. The Wolf and her had been crashing heads more than once during the first few days, but now... She liked her. More than she imagined at least.   The girl was beautiful, sure, handsome even. She was loyal, which still surprised the vampire, to be honest. After all, it's not often that you meet a thief that's loyal.   Her morals still needed some work, but Serana was hardly a Saint too. Even before turning, she was considered cunning, some would even say manipulative. They would be right too. How many times had she used her good looks to get what she wanted? And she would always get what she wanted. She would stop at nothing to reach her goals. Her blood is proof of that.  So why is it, that when she looks at her companion, she feels the need to protect instead of claim like she usually would?   She knew that the wolf felt something for her. In any other case, she would have used her charming words to make her fall for her. And yet, a part of her is scared. Not scared of being rejected. But scared of hurting the wolf.   She told her what happened to her. The young woman didn't have anything, anyone. No one has shown her true affection in a long time, and from her reactions, she gathered that the girl didn't even know what to do when she's on the receiving end of this affectionate behavior. 
"They would want me to service them." 
Serana reflexively tightened her hands into tight fists as she remembered the woman's words.   The last thing she wanted was to seem like one of the people that would want such a wretched thing from her. How she would love to give them a slow and painful death. 
Did she ever... 
  Serana was lost in anger at the thought. A growl almost made its way out of her scowling lips but she held it back, barely.   She didn't know if the woman ever had to go through such a terrible thing. She won't ask, won't bring up these memories. But she would be there for her. She swore that she would be there. And she would show her what true affection looked like. 
Even if this isn't the best time to do so... Crazy father that wants to reign over the world and all.

But she clearly does like me, that much is certain... Now she just has to realize it. 
  The vampire was too lost in her thoughts to notice that Arslan had stopped. Running into her back she reflexively put her hands on the younger woman's hips, steadying her as she tripped forward. 
Or... I make her realize it. 
With a smirk, she tightened her hold on her.   Serana would never admit it, but she loved every second of this short ordeal. Her hands gripping her hips, the woman's body pressed flush against her own, the way her heart skipped a beat...  The moment was over way too soon, as Arslan cleared her throat before stepping out of her grasp. "Sorry about that." The vampire said while the wolf turned towards her, a blush creeping it's way onto her cheeks. Serana hid her smug grin as the wolf shrugged off her embarrassment. "It's fine..." She said, still feeling the vampires cold hands on her. What's wrong with her? It was just an accident, no need to get so worked up about it. "I know that we're almost in the city but do you see that, over there?" She said after getting back on track, pointing a gloved finger towards the shoreline some distance away from them. Indeed Serana saw it. It was a bandit camp, set up next to a shipwreck. "Yes, I do." The vampire answered, feeling hungry all of a sudden, it has been a while since she fed."You haven't eaten in a while, and I wouldn't mind stopping for the night. We can reach Solitude in the morning, and get on a ship that would take us to Winterhold. What do you think?" She said, turning her head over her shoulder to gouge the vampire's reaction to her plan.   She would not mind stopping for a quick snack and some rest. Arslan was right, they could always just reach the port in the morning.  Nodding, the vampire smirked before responding; "Good idea, let's make a stop, otherwise I would have to resort to your blood during our ride... Then again, I wouldn't mind it, personally."The sultry edge in her voice made the wolf flush before mumbling back; "Let's just go." oOoShe let the vampire dispose of the bandits, waiting some ways back until she was done feeding. The way Serana sunk her teeth into their necks made Arslan almost pity the bandits. When she bit her, she would always be so gentle... 
Wait, what. 
  Why would she think about that? Seriously, what's happening to her? The vampire has been clouding her mind these past few days.   The wolf found herself lost in thoughts on numerous occasions. Thinking back to the vampires hands on her hips, her hands holding her arms over her head, her bite... She felt her face burn at the thoughts, and swallowed audibly before sighing heavily. That woman... what is she doing exactly?The teasing was getting worse by the day, and Arslan didn't know how to handle it.   Sure she was used to some teasing and flirting, here and there. Usually, it came from her guild members, meaningless banter in her eyes. But with Serana it was different.  Her heart would pound, her ears would redden in embarrassment and she would be at a loss for words. What was she playing at exactly? Her train of thought got interrupted by the terrified screaming of one of the bandits.   Serana was holding an ice spear in her palm, grinning evilly while approaching the cowering man. He was at least a head taller than the woman, and yet he was sprawled down at her feet, shaking in fear. "Now... You would make a fine meal, wouldn't you?" She said, eyes glowing in the dark. She flashed her teeth, and Arslan felt a chill run down her body. 
Scary... 
 oOo

They were finally settled in for the evening.   Serana already disposed of the bodies, their stench would have bothered them the whole night otherwise. Now they were sitting side by side, in front of the burning campfire, enjoying the warmth it spread between them.   The tents were already set up behind them, saving Arslan the trouble of setting up her own bed roll. They would sleep in separate tents, and Arslan would be lying if she said that she didn't feel a bit disappointed by that fact.   She didn't understand why she felt that way. Why did her heart speed up when the vampire was close to her? Why did she want to be liked by her, close to her? That hasn't happened in a long time. Most people either liked her or didn't, either didn't matter to her. What was important was her freedom, her survival.   So why did she want to go with her? After all the trouble she went through to get out of Skyrim, why did a vampire that she just met induce such a change of her plans? What changed? 
Me.

I changed. 
She never had a friend like her before. The only other friends she had were her guild mates, and she saw them more like siblings. Really weird, kleptomaniac siblings.   But with Serana, it was different from the start. What kind of person would be friends with a vampire? She even drank her blood, for heaven's sake, that should be alarming! And yet... It wasn't. She let her. 
Why? 
  She was stubborn, she knew that. The thought of a vampire snacking on her should enrage her. And yet it didn't. Sneaking a glance towards her companion, she bit her lip.   Her dark hair reflected the fire beautifully, and her red eyes seemed so bright as she gazed into the dancing flames. She was a beauty, truly.
Wait... 
The woman ripped her eyes away from her friend, standing up abruptly. The vampire didn't seem startled by the sudden action, only mustering up a curious; "Everything alright?" Without meeting her eyes, the wolf puts on a, hopefully convincing, smile. "Yes... Yeah. I just... I'm gonna wash my face real fast. Be right back."  Ignoring the confusion that flashed in the older woman's eyes, she made her way to the edge of the water. Her feet sinking a few inches into the wet sand, she crouches down and splashes some cold water on her face. Pushing back her hair, she stills them behind her neck, watching the moonlit ocean before her. 
I... 
Her heart contracted in her chest. 
No, that's impossible... 
She felt out of breath as she trained her eyes on her wobbly reflection in the water. Distressed hazel stared back at her.  She knew why Serana had such an effect on her. Why it felt like her heart would jump out of her throat anytime the woman would smirk at her, why her face would burn anytime the woman leaned in to touch her. 
I'm in love with Serana. 
She understood. She was stubborn, not stupid.   But the thought still induced fear inside her. Sure she had a few flings here and there, but there never were any sort of feelings involved. Love was a waste of time, loving didn't feed her, didn't bring any money to the guild. But she didn't have to survive off of the streets anymore, did she? And the guild was doing fine, last time she checked. Swallowing down her fear, the woman got up again and headed back towards their campsite. The vampire threw her a questioning look before smiling gently. 
I'm here. 
She could read it in her eyes. Warmth spread inside of her, unlike her flames, it was kind, gentle. It made her smile back.   The vampire... Serana. Did she like her too? Was the flirting meant seriously? Or was she just teasing her?   Sitting back down next to her, the wolf took out some bread and dried meat from her bag, before forcing it down her throat. She didn't feel hungry, but she knew that she would need strength during their journey tomorrow. This whole thing was... confusing. New.   Sighing, she decided that she needs to calm her nerves, and digs out a bottle of wine from her rucksack.   She wasn't a heavy drinker like most nords, but she did enjoy the occasional drink from time to time.   Wasting no time, she bit off the cork and drank a hearty amount. The wine burned her throat, but it couldn't be compared to the vampire's gaze burning holes into her.  Serana had stayed silent when the girl moved to the water, but she could hear it... her heart rate spike suddenly that is. Maybe... just maybe the wolf finally understood. She would have to test her to be sure.   Red eyes followed every single movement the muscles in her throat made, as she drank. She didn't hide the hunger in them as her companion put the bottle back down, letting it rest between her crossed legs.The wolf saw her gaze and Serana could hear her heart race . 
How fast can I make it go, I wonder... 
Arslan didn't know if it was the wine, but she felt light-headed already. The vampire had a strange look in her eyes. The word hungry is what came to her mind first. Unbeknownst to her, she was right. "You know... Your blood is a lot like wine." The silky smooth voice of the vampire broke the silence that had settled between them. She sounded almost breathless. Something in Arslan's gut clenched at the sound. "Ah... Why's that?" She asked nervously, putting the half empty bottle beside her, fearing that her shaking hands might spill it. 
That's enough... I don't know what they put in there but... I feel strange. 
"Well... It's taste is unlike anything I've had before, it's special." The vampire kept her gaze trained on the wolf, staring with an intensity that almost made Arslan shudder. "It must be the dragon's blood..." Arslan mumbled, breaking off the staring contest that happened between them and instead trained her eyes on the embers in front of her.   Serana admired the sight of the wolf, as the flame illuminated her face, bringing out a softer side to her. "Maybe... But I think it's something else." She smirked before reaching out slowly, as to not alert the wolf. Gently, she brushes the short hair that had fallen on her neck away. She could make out goosebumps on her tan skin. 
Cute... 
  The wolf didn't make any move to stop the vampire as she grazed her neck with her fingernails, staying as still as she possibly could while the vampire observed her. "I think... It's just the way you taste ." Serana said, feeling a sense of pride rise in her chest as she watches the wolf swallow and flush at her bold words; "It's like an aged wine, it makes me light headed when I drink it..."  Like hell I'm going to just let her tease me like this... Two can play this game. Arslan thought, gathering her courage for what she would say next. "Sounds to me like you want a taste." She said, trying to sound smooth but she could not hide the subtle trembling of her voice.   Seranas eyes sprung from her neck to her face. Her fingers stopped their exploration and her smirk grew as she leaned towards the woman. 
Coming out to play, huh?
"What if I do?" Serana said breathlessly, and the wolf tensed at the sound of her voice in her ear. "I... You just ate." She said, turning to look her in the eyes, painfully aware of the few inches that separated them. Serana grinned, her fangs poking out from beneath her lips, slowly she started to stroke her neck again. Arslan forced her eyes to stay on her, as she shivered from the contact. Humming, the vampire let words drip from her mouth like honey; "I wouldn't mind a dessert." Arslan was burning up. The nails tracing blazing patterns into her skin were clouding her mind.   It felt like her stomach's been doing somersaults. And her heart was sure to be pounding right out of her chest. Serana stopped touching her, chuckling darkly; "Just kiddin-"The vampire swallowed her words as she watches the wolf take off her gloves.   Clenching her jaw at the sight of Arslan undoing the buttons of her armor, she licked her lips hungrily as the wolf tugged it down so that most of her neck was met with the cool wind that came from the sea. She wouldn't... Would she?  Her neck... Serana was left breathless , she didn't think that her teasing would get that reaction. But now the wolf was sitting next to her, bending her head to the side, and looking shyly towards her. She was full of surprises.But... "I was just teasing... You don't have to-" She started, not quite managing to hide the strain in her voice as the wolf's smell filled her nose. "I want to... I mean, if you're hungry... just ask me, we don't have to search for bandits that way. And I don't mind." Arslan didn't know what came over her. Maybe it was the alcohol, making her bold. Maybe it was the way the vampire's eyes had darkened during their talk.  Probably the wine ... "I would like that." Serana said, an honest and gentle smile playing on her lips; "Thank you."  Arslan felt herself warm up as the vampire smiled. She had a beautiful smile, one that would probably get someone to drop down to her feet in an instant. "We're friend's right? It's fine." She said back quickly, not noticing the slight irritation that washed over the woman's eyes. 
You're still not getting it? You stubborn little... 
  Swallowing down her frustration, Serana shot back the most charming smile she could muster before grabbing Arslan's chin between her fingers, making the woman blush even harder; "Well then... Thank you, for the meal."   Serana leaned her head to the side, before putting her lips on the younger woman's throat. She took her time, letting the woman feel her on her body before lightly poking her with her teeth. Arslan held back a gasp as she felt the cold lips touch her skin. It felt weird. It felt good.   Sharp teeth slowly broke her skin, and Arslan couldn't hold back the whimper that left her lips as they sunk deeper into her. 
It hurts...

But it feels good. 
Serana couldn't remember the last time she bit someone so gently.   The taste of the wolf's sweet blood filled her senses, and the whimpers she let out were music to her ears. She almost wanted to bite her harder.   She loved her voice, so rough during their travels, and yet so soft when she's at her mercy.   They stayed that way for a few moments. The wolf's body stayed tense as the vampire sucked on her throat. She felt her heart pound harder with every second that passed and wasn't sure if she would be able to hold herself upright any longer as her core started to heat up.   Serana could get addicted to this. To the woman's blood as well as to way her body shivered with each movement of her lips against her. 
I need to stop now, I might not be able to hold back if I keep going. 
  Arslan held back a moan when the vampire freed her teeth and lapped up the blood, and she prayed that the vampire didn't notice. Of course she did. Just like she could smell the woman's arousal. She wanted more...   Serana smirked up towards the wolf, who turned just in time to meet her gaze as she tugged at the collar of her armor, dragging it further down.   The woman didn't seem to mind her detour, if her dilated pupils and hitched breath were anything to go by.   Slowly descending toward her collar bone, the vampire licked up a single drop of blood that had escaped her lips and flowed down. Her tongue traced the fine line of delicate red, just over her breast, all the way up to where the wolf's neck meets her jaw.   Arslan couldn't hold back her voice anymore and let out a breathy moan which in turn made Serana use all of her self control, to not pounce and ravish her further.   Letting go of her chin, the vampire dragged her lips over the curve of her jawline slowly, savoring the taste of her tongue, before shooting a devilish smile at the blushing and breathless mess that was her companion. "Thank you... Friend. "The wolf was in deep trouble.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

After the long trek back, the pair finally arrived at Solitude. If they wanted to reach the College of Winterhold they would need supplies; the path would be treacherous, the cruel snowstorms made sure of that.   Arslan led them towards the market, the buzzing of the crowd did well to calm her nerves. The wolf was fighting the inner voice yelling at her, screaming about her foolishness to have developed a crush on her companion. Not only was she a vampire but also the legitimate princess of a pure-blooded line of vampire royalty . And her? She was a werewolf who didn’t even have a pack anymore. Correction: who got banned from her former one. She didn't even hunt anymore, for gods sake! She promised herself to renounce her beast but the vampire's presence already managed to make her break that commitment in the short time that they knew each other.   No matter how she put it, she got it bad . No amount of reasoning could stop her wishing for the woman to have kept going yesterday. For Serana to have bitten her harder, to have gone just a little lower as she grazed her skin with her fangs… She shook the thought out of her head, feeling her cheeks redden as she imagined what could have happened instead. May the gods grant her strength to get through this...  They made their way through the market, picking up some fresh food for the wolf, and some more pelts for their campsite. Even though Serana was already dead, she could still feel the cold to some extent, it didn't bother her that much, but it would stiff her movements. Knowing that her father would no doubt send his lackeys after them, she needed to be vigilant and on top of her form. She could not risk her partner getting hurt because her body was too slow to react to the threat. “Someone’s lost in thoughts.” Serana remarked, absentmindedly browsing some garments.   Her hand gently grazed the clothes as she passed them, staying close behind the wolf. She could almost hear the gears turning in her head as the wolf's tense figure made a path among the bodies in the crowd. That and her racing heart. It was fun to see how she didn't even need to tease her, half the time the wolf would get worked up with just her presence. Having her stand just a little closer seemed to do the trick just fine.Arslan, upon hearing the mirthful tone aimed at her, shook herself out of her reverie;“Yeah, j- just… thinking about what kind of meat I want to get.” She sent what she hoped was a convincing smile and kept walking, purposefully ignoring the amused look she earned herself as she mentally face palmed at her choice of words.   Serana smirked as she observed her from a few feet away. The wolf was talking to a merchant as she bought dried rations for the journey. She had been oddly still on their way back, which made her wonder; Had she been too forward back at the shore? The woman seemed responsive to her. Very responsive in fact. She wondered if the wolf knew that vampires also have an exceptional sense of smell… She suppressed a self satisfied smirk as the memory came up. Then again… maybe she was coming to terms with the fact that she wasn't as indifferent to emotional connections as she thought? No matter, she was enjoying this little game of cat and mouse they found themselves in.   While she may have been lost in her thoughts, she still perceived the foreign hand sneaking itself around the scroll on her back. Swiftly turning around, she gripped the offending appendage and twisted the arm of the poor sucker that thought she would be an easy prey.   The pickpocket bites their tongue so as to not scream out in pain as the vampire fixes them with a no nonsense stare. The offender looked over his shoulder and threw a nervous grin back at the stern woman; “Ah fair lad, you see… Uh… this is just one big misunderst-” Serana only raised a brow at the poorly thought through excuse before a gasp broke her train of thoughts. The thief thrashed in her grip, trying to turn as to get a better look behind the vampire. “Boss!?” Arslan immediately stiffened at the voice.  “This can’t be…” Arslan felt her heart stop as she turned towards the familiar voice. “Rune!?” She exclaimed before she hurried towards them while she was pocketing her goods.   Serana only watches in confusion as she reluctantly releases the man from her grasp. The broad man delightedly closed the remaining distance between them and engulfed the shorter wolf in his arms, laughing as he picked her up a few feet from the ground and swung the overwhelmed woman from side to side excitedly. That earned them a few confused looks from passersby, but the wolf was too stunned to care. “Boss! I thought I’d never see ya again!” He said while Arslan struggled to escape his crushing bearhug. Serana observed the man while Arslan cussed at him to let her down; He wore a similar outfit to hers, except his was of a lighter color.  “A guild member of hers…”  The vampire chuckled as her companion wheezed after escaping his energetic affection; “Seems like they get along.” The frazzled wolf caught her breath first before meeting the eager look of her friend; “Rune, what are you doing here?” She asked him, pointedly avoiding Seranas amused stare. She knew the vampire would use this as inspiration for future teasing.“I'm here for a job, boss! Then I saw your lovely friend here and the thing on her back. I thought I would try my luck… Ya have one hell of a grip though, lad!” He threw a good natured grin at the vampire, which earned him a smirk back. The wolf chuckled, she couldn't even argue, she thought the exact same thing when she saw the scroll for the first time; They really are thieves through and through. “Yes Rune, I know. This one is off limits though.”  “And I'm not just talking about the Scroll.” She mentally scolded herself for the ridiculous thought. “Boss, why did ya leave? We were all worried sick. Even Vex wanted to go look for ya! It was to give you a beating... but still!” The man called Rune asked, worry overtaking his features. Arslan felt her heart clench at his words.
“Even Vex…” 
“I left you guys a note.” She said, averting her eyes. She remembers the hastily written piece of paper she left on her desk the night she left. “Yeah, a note where ya said that Brynjolf is taking the reins and that you’re leaving Skyrim.”  He said, his eyes chasing hers. He didn't sound resentful, but the hurt laced his voice nonetheless; “Ya just up and left without a proper explanation.”Arslan finally gathered the courage to look up and met his awaiting gaze. “I know. I’m sorry. I… I just couldn’t risk it. We finally got the Guild back on its feet, after everything that happened and the rumors that were spreading... I couldn’t just drag you all into this mess.” The wolf forced out, dejectedly; “I never wanted to leave but… it's for the best.”Rune stayed silent for a bit, his eyes swayed briefly on some patrons heaving crates of wine onto a carriage. He sighed before stating slowly: “So it is true after all, boss… You really are Dragonborn.”Serana could see the frustration building up in the other woman as she heard that accursed title again. Her previously relaxed palms formed fists and the wolf's nose flared as she tried to repress the surging bitterness. “Yes. I am.” She said through clenched teeth, casting a look around to make sure no one was listening in to their conversation. Thankfully, the other folks were too busy going about their purchases to pay attention to their small group.  “That’s why I can’t stay. The guild would be ruined, having me around would only draw attention and we both know how bad that is for business.”The decision had torn her apart but she knew it was necessary, they all worked so hard to get back on top, throwing it all away… she just would not let that happen. Serana offered a comforting hand on her shoulder, a silent “It’s alright, you’re alright.” which made breathing just a little easier. She threw a grateful smile back at her before facing her former member again; “I wish it could be different, really I do.”“Boss…” The man didn't know what to say, he understood why his former leader did what she did, it doesn’t take the pain of it away though. Sighing, he nodded his head before smiling sadly and saying: “I get it, you always did have our best at heart after all. Just… don't forget that we’re a family alright? Dragonborn or not, you’re our guild master first and foremost. I’m speaking for everyone when I say that we’re all here if you need us. You saved us, let us give back at least something .”Arslan bit her cheek to keep from crying, she knew he really meant what he said… that moron. She let out a silent laugh. “I’m not leaving just yet-” She glances back towards Serana; “turns out, there is something I need to do first. “ The vampire's soft smile did not go unnoticed by Rune, who felt a smirk growing on his own face; “Alright… Boss finally has something going for her. The others will be thrilled.” They had already started placing bets ages ago as to when the wolf would finally settle with someone. He couldn't wait to get his share from Sapphire. Taking a deep breath, she stepped up to him and held out her hand, the broad man grinned as he recognized exactly what she was doing; “Don’t mess up what we built, I want to hear the tales of our heists wherever I go. Understood?”He laughed, even now she was still unrelenting when it came to their guilds success. “Whenever you’re ready to come back, boss, ya can hear them straight from us.” They slapped their hands together; “Until then…” “We will keep the best riches for your collection.”

oOo

Rune watches the odd pair leave through the gates of the city, after one last bone crushing hug, they said their goodbyes and went on their way. Arslan promised to write them a proper letter explaining everything, soon. While Rune swore to tell his fellow members that their leader is doing alright on their new adventure, and that Vex has dibs on the first punch thrown at her, as payback. The sun cast a lovely shine over the marbled town, as the thief turned around and made his way towards his next victims address. The others will truly be happy to know what their boss has been up to. It has been ages since he had seen her this intent on something, the last time was when she was just a newbie at the guild, eager to earn her place among them… and how she earned it, he thought with a chuckle.Dragonborn or not, she’s their boss. And they know that she will come back. Even after they passed around her note, they knew she would be back, even if it takes years. After all…They are a family. And family always sticks together.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"Someone's in a good mood." The teasing voice of the vampire broke the comfortable silence that fell over the pair, making Arslan roll her eyes as she, quite poorly, tried to suppress the grin that was plastered onto her face since they ran into her dear friend."I don't know what you're talking about." She quipped back, ignoring the piercing red eyes of her companion, who didn't bother hiding her smile at the sight of the happy wolf; "If she had a tail, it would be wagging right now."  She raised a brow at the obvious lie and after a little more teasing the woman finally confessed; "I'm just… I'm glad that he was happy to see me, that's all." Arslan's relief made Serana break out a genuine smile. They sure seemed close. "It was hard to miss." She chuckled which earned her a smile in return.   The traveling duo leisurely walked upon the cobblestone path, intended to catch a sailor who wouldn't mind having them tag along into the freezing tundra where the college of Winterhold had its keep. They hoped that the furs they packed would be enough to last them through the icy winds. Arslan also insisted on getting them both thick cloaks, and some leather to wrap the scroll in. She had been glad to see her friend, but didn't need anymore thieves trying their luck on their journey.   The wolf pondered how long it would take her until she could see her friends again and make up for her sudden disappearance, quite a while, surely. She missed them dearly but at the same time, she was glad to know that they were out and about, reigning chaos as usual. She missed that life: breaking and entering, carefully pocketing something right under some nobleman's nose and leaving without a single trace…  She couldn't help but look forward to being on the move again, it wouldn't be the same, of course, even if she would let her hand wander at moments, searching for a pouch that seemed just a little too heavy on someone's belt… But she knew that being on this quest with Serana was sure to be anything but boring. Her? On a noble mission to save Tamriel from a delusional vampiric Lord? Traveling with his daughter, no less! It read like a badly written story.  Stealing a glance at her companion, she begrudgingly acknowledged how her heart raced at the mere thought of traveling together for the unforeseeable future. Her face burned as she thought back to their not so friendly encounters in the past few days. Gods, did her lips feel soft…If she had kissed her just a little higher-She shook her head to get rid of the thoughts; "We have more important things to worry about, getting laid is not the priority right now!"  She thought to herself while keeping her eyes trained on the cobblestones under her boots.Amused by the wolf's obvious inner turmoil in front of her, Serana was happy with staying a few feet behind her as they made their way towards the docks. Arslan stopped midstep, her expression morphing into one of brief surprise before her brows furrowed in concentration as she took another deep breath; " That smell… " She kept her eyes on the road, past the farm and the woods. There was no mistaking it; "Serana." She said softly, as she kept her eyes trained before them.The vampire walked up to her, curious as to why the woman stopped in her tracks; "Is something wrong, Arslan?" She kept observing her patiently as the woman started sniffing the air, much like a hound smelling blood in the distance…turns out that wouldn't be far from the case."It stinks, like blood and rotten flesh. Like Volkihar-" She states dryly before taking another deep breath- "it has been a while since they were here though. They must have passed hours ago.""Impressive, Wolfie." She knew werewolves and vampires both had heightened senses, but the former's sense of smell was truly astonishing. She ignored the pointed glare the nickname got her.  It didn't make any sense… Her father must have noticed the missing Scroll by now, and he surely sent troops after her already. If they were here hours ago, that meant they must have missed each other somehow."Just what exactly were they looking for?"Arslan shrugged her shoulders; "Maybe they came to look for us?" "They wouldn't have reached Solitude beforehand. And you didn't smell anything on the way here, I imagine." Arslan shook her head. "Something else must be happening."   Arslan looked thoughtful for a moment before taking off towards the farm that hugged the way down to the docks. She was sure it was more than one fiend, based on the potency of their trail; "Let's ask if someone saw something out of the ordinary. I know a guy."  OoO "That was your guy ?" Serana chuckled good-naturedly as they made their way down the road. Arslan shrugged lazily; "Blaise always knows what's going on around these parts." She grinned before adding with a chuckle; "Besides, we got quite the information from the squirt."Arslan was right. The child had the most peculiar thing to report.  She still couldn't believe it, in fact. A Moth priest, here in Skyrim. The only person who's capable of reading the Scroll was only a few hours away from them… She just hoped that her father's lackeys wouldn't get to him first."We did indeed. Who would have thought… Just who we needed." Serana shook her head in disbelief; "Fate really is on our side today." "It seems so."  OoO   When they finally found him, it was already too late, her father's men had found him first. They took him into a cave, hidden some ways behind Dragon Bridge and what was worse…the priest was already in the midst of becoming a thrall to one her father's higher ranked subordinates.   They knew that they had to act fast. Quickly, they made work of the hellhounds and vampires standing guard in the lower ruins, and as they reached the top of the tower, Markus, the leader of the operation, stopped in his tracks, letting Serana's betrayal sink in. "I always knew you were a blood traitor… Kill them!" He growled, before all hell broke loose.  Ice spears, blades and flames made the once serene cave light up violently. The pair of companions split up at one point, leaving Serana to fight off the two thralls, while Arslan tried to stop Markus from finishing the enthralling of the Priest inside the magic circle.   Serana grunted as she drove her dagger into the woman in front of her, keeping herself from wincing as she watched her fall to the ground, gurgling on her blood, her torturous existence finding an end at her hands. She knew that, technically, their fates had already been sealed, but she never liked killing them, they were just puppets after all. She quickly turned to the other one as he charged at her, sidestepping him just before he could swing his mace down at her. As he lunged at her again, she summoned an ice spike and dug it straight into his chest which shattered into countless pieces as he fell to the ground. The reflection of flames in the ice made her turn away from the unmoving man at her feet and look for her wolf amidst the chaos. She didn't doubt that Arslan could take him, but she knew him, and knew that he fought dirty.   By the stairs, fiery explosions lit up the cave walls. The wolf was trying to get a hit in, being forced to take an aggressive approach as he, whenever she tried to strike, would form a shield and divert her flames, before countering with magic of his own. So this was the power of a century old vampire… she smirked ferociously as she hurled another burst of flames at him: "How fun!"    Seeing Arslan smile mid battle made Serana sigh in exasperation, how could she be having fun right now? Her fire had turned blue at some point, and the vampire noted how the space around them started to heat up, melting the ice scattered around her feet in the process. "She must be testing his limits…" Serana thought as she turned her gaze towards the circle encasing the Moth Priest, she already tried to break it with her own magic, to no avail. "Arslan!" She said loudly, knowing that the wolf heard her as she made a wall of flames, shielding her from a barrage of ice that came flying at her; "We need to hurry, stop messing around." The vampire ordered sternly, as she watched the wolf disappear behind a screen of steam. The demand made Arslan snap out of her battle craze, she ignored the way her heart sped up at her tone; "Yes, mistress!" She scoffed mockingly, before launching herself at her opponent, melting another spike aimed at her chest before she took a swing at him with her blade which he parried with his own. Being overly conscious of the way that title sounded coming from the wolf's lips, she could only shake her head at the wolf: "What a brat…" Markus struggled against the speed of the blows; “How is she not running out of Magicka?” he thought. His skin was starting to blister from the amount of heat radiating from her. Pushing her away and making her lose her balance, he swung his sword overhead and brought it down on her. Managing to regain her footing she barely moved her head out of the way before being taken over by white blinding pain. As she felt the blade sink into her, cutting through leather and burrowing the metal into her flesh and bone, she couldn't suppress the howl of pain that tore from her throat. The vampire smirked as he heard her bones crack: "I got you now, you mutt." He snarled as he readied another spike of ice to finish her.  Serana moved as soon as she saw the blade come down on her companion, only making it to stand a few steps behind her, before the blood started to pour from her shoulder. Markus took the time to meet her vivid eyes as he summoned the ice, gleefully expecting her to watch as he intended to put down her pet.   The murderous woman made to close the remaining distance, hoping to at least push the wolf out of the way before she rips his undead heart out of his chest; she stopped in her tracks as the wolf started…laughing?  Her eyes were wide and unfocused as a strained smirk graced her lips; "You got it backwards…" she winced as she gripped the sword that was still buried between her neck and shoulder- "I got you now." before ripping it out, adding another coat of blood to the steel from the fresh cut on the palm of her hand. The vampiric lackey scrambled to close the remaining distance with the spear in his free hand but he couldn't react fast enough as she made him lose his balance by pulling on the sword that was still in his grasp.   Serana could only stare in astonishment as she witnessed the event; the wolf's sword started to shine a dull red, before she swung it sideways into his ribcage. The vampire could hear the breath being quite literally knocked out of him, before a sizzling sound mixed with his pained yell echoed through the cave. Arslan quickly released the flames she channeled into her sword, making Serana look away as she was blinded by the heat and harsh light that erupted from the ebony sword. Smoke, ash and embers coated the stairs where just moments ago stood one of her fathers strongest warlords.  Arslan released a breath that she didn't notice holding in in the first place, before she abruptly lost her footing, the pain and exhaustion sinking in now that the adrenaline left her body. She stumbled backwards, her feet slipping from the step. Too drained to do anything about it she expected to be met with hard stone and one hell of a headache, instead she fell back against soft fabrics. Two strong arms snaked their way around her, carefully avoiding the gash on her shoulder, as she was held firmly in place against Serana's front.   The vampire was visibly fuming, but her eyes betrayed her worries as she moved to pick up the wolf. Carrying her up the stairs, she held her close against her, her jaw locked tightly as she stepped on the ashes of the man who hurt her Arslan."This is becoming a habit…" She mumbled, struggling to stay conscious. Her flames weren't bound to her magicka, but it still exhausted her to use them to this great extent. The fact that Markus could divert her attacks so often was impressive, it made her wonder just how strong Serana really is… hopefully she would never have to find out firsthand. "You being completely reckless?" She snapped as she walked them towards the podium overlooking the glowing dome that still trapped the priest. They killed Markus, so why didn't it stop?Arslan hissed in pain as Serena moved to put her down, before correcting her with a strained voice: "I meant you catching and carrying me…"   This made Serana break out a soft sigh, the irritation leaving her as she moved to run a hand through her companion's short hair. Arslan looked at her through half lidded eyes, before closing them, and leaning into her cool touch. She was burning up, Serana noted, feeling her heart tug as she moved her hand to cup her cheek. "Stupid girl…" Arslan's eyes widened at the gentle tone, and her chest tightened at the affectionate touch.   She knew it was wrong of her, Arslan couldn't move, couldn't tell her to stop. But she was selfish and so she moved closer, putting her cold lips to her forehead, feeling the woman under her suck in a breath as she lingered just a bit longer. As she moved back, albeit reluctantly, she gently stroked her face with her thumb, before slowly saying; "I will never let you fall. Never ."  The wolf could only stare at her, feeling overwhelmed by the confession. She wouldn't let her fall… she said it like a vow, like a promise not even death could break up. Never had a promise held any meaning for her, she never believed that someone could swear to something and fully understand what that entails. Never letting her fall… Serana was too sharp to not understand the underlying meaning of it. Arslan tried to shake off the hope and yearning creeping up on her, but Serana was looking at her with so much tenderness, holding her like she was something fragile, something important . It made Arslan lightheaded. Maybe… just this once, she would believe it.  "I want to kiss her." She thought in a daze, getting lost in pools of glowing red.   Serana picked up the change in her companion, her eyes showing her longing; her desperate gaze chipped away at her self-control and the vampire felt her resolve crumble as the wolf's tongue poked out to wet her lips, her eyes dropping down to the vampires. Starving, that was what Serana felt like right now.  Arslan tried to move her hand, wanting to cover the vampire's, to make it stay in place just for a few more moments as she moved to close the gap between them. But in the midst of her haze, she got reminded quite painfully of her shattered shoulder, making her tense up, and giving Serana the opportunity to rule her face and move away from her. It pained her to reject the wolf like this, but she knew it wasn't right to do this now. They still had to rescue the priest and more urgently, do something about the wound.Using every ounce of self-control to move her hand away, she began searching for a potion in the pouch attached to the wolf's belt. "Here, drink." Arslan swallowed down her disappointment, together with the red liquid that the vampire held against her lips. She knew why Serana stopped her, but it still hurt.  Once she poured the last of it, Serana moved her thumb to her chin pushing up and against it gently, making sure that she took it all. The wolf felt herself flush as the vampire deliberately kept up the eye contact between them as she was made to obediently swallow the last of the bitter tasting potion, making Serana feel impossibly pleased with herself.  Already, Arslan felt the wound start to close up. The previous pain only felt like a dull thumping after a few more moments. Working out the stiffness in her shoulder she looked back up to Serana; "I'm alright, let's keep going."Serana shot her a smile before the pair climbed back to their feet. "We must hurry. Markus is dead, but the priest might already be enthralled by him." She said, as they made their way to the podium. "A keystone… let's look around."   Arslan, who was still fighting off the butterflies in her chest, nodded before walking off to look for the key. She stopped on the way down the stairs, not turning to face the vampire, and a soft tone carried her words; "Thank you, Serana." OoO   After freeing and beating some sense into the priest, they explained the situation. The old man was quick to accept to help them, mostly out of eagerness to get the opportunity to read a real Elder Scroll. They went back to Dragon Bridge, where they got a room in the inn in order to let the Moth Priest rest before letting him open the artifact, away from curious eyes.After he finished reading it, the pair stood in shock at what he said. Two more Scrolls? And one of them was- "The Dragon Scroll… of course it’s the Dragon Scroll." Arslan said, sounding defeated from where she was sitting in the corner of the room. Serana shot her a sympathetic look before saying in turn: "I think we have everything we need…"   She looked at the old man as he sat down on the bed, exhausted from the reading and eventful day. They surely won't be seeing him again, if he managed to escape her father's lackeys he would, at the very least, have left Skyrim by the time they would have found any other Scroll; so Serana asked him if there was any other way to read the relics, and he told them about the moths and Ancestor Glade.   The odd pair thanked him, and Arslan paid for a few nights at the inn for him to get his bearings, before wishing him to stay safe and keep to himself until he could get an escort back to Cyrodiil. As for the pair of adventurers…  They made their way through the darkened woods, not wanting to spend the night in town and risk bringing attention to themselves. They knew that more of Harkon's men would go after them, so they hurriedly put some distance between them and the town, stopping by a shallow cave, carved into the cliffside. It was well hidden, and would keep them safe from the cold winds. Only the stars would witness the timid looks between them, as they set up camp for the night, deep in the woods, away from prying eyes.