I heard a scuff of boot on stone and a pebble rolling down an incline, so I caste a detect dead spell. Looked like a whole group of vampires and their friends. I caste Stendar's Aura on myself and pulled Kruziik Dilon from her sheath, it felt good to have her back in my hands. Serana made a snippy comment, I had forgotten about her for a minute, so i moved away from her. Where she touched, Kruziik set flame to vampires, made their gargoyles howl and turned their thrall's to ash. When nothing more came at me, I banished Stendar's Aura, I know I could have just waited out the time, but Serana looked uncomfortable.
Once it was gone, Serana walked over and asked me if I knew where Auriels bow was. I replied that the Elder Scroll's had given me their location. I thought about going by Lakeview and checking in, but decided it wasn't a good idea. Instead I headed strait to Whiterun and the carriage, when I thought of buying a horse for Serana, something in my head said it wasn't a good idea.
Looking at the sun and gauging how long t would take and not wishing to travel through The Reach at night, I delayed leaving til the morning. It was early enough that the merchants were still open so I went to the Alchemy shop and got a couple healing potions and a couple more cure disease ones. I wasn't ready to go to sleep but we did go into the Inn and get our room's. I told Serana that I had a couple friends I wanted to see and I would meet her at 5am tomorrow morning by the carriage.
I headed to Jorrvaskr, I wished to speak with Kadlak Whitemane, who had been a friend since he was but a Welp. I waved at Skjor, who seemed to be arguing with the firey redhead I had seen with Marcurio. He nodded back at me and kept talking quiet heatedly with her. I asked Tilma if Kodlak was down in his room, she nodded and kept sweeping. A beefy young man came out of the sleeping quarter's and asked if I was lost or was a a new recruit. I replied neither, just a friend of the Pack. It took a minute for it to dawn on him exactly what I was saying, he smiled and nodded.
I got to Kodlak's room with out any one else stopping me. He was in ernest discussion with a man that looked remarkably like the one that stopped me, only thinner. I leaned against the door frame and listened to the two of them for a minute. Kodlak turned his head and asked if I was going to grab a chair and sit or just hover over the two of them. The young man that Kodlak introduced as Vilkas, told me it was extremely rude to listen in on private conversations. I told him that the Pack had few secrets that I didn't already know.
Kodlak broke into what might have ended in an argument with, " What bring's you back to Skyrim? That armor look's like a uniform, but I don't recognize it." I told him that Isran had written to me and asked me to come back and help establish a new Dawnguard, to hunt vampires. His eyebrow's rose and he did remark that they had been getting more job's to deal with vampires, than ever before. I chuckled and asked if he was sending the "circle" after them, the young man started as if goosed. He said yes, when they knew it was vampires, after all it's not like they could catch the disease.
I nodded and asked why he looked unhappy. Only one word was nesassary "Sovngarde", I looked down and knew, " You are now regretting your choice to become one of Hircines?" He replied yes, he was along with the twins. Skjor was happy with the idea of an eternal hunt so was another member of the circle. I reminded him of how I thought that the curse could be broken and surely these two stout young men would be able to do the task.
"Kodlak my friend I would gladly help you out with that, but I have issues of my own to deal with at the moment," I tapped the side of my head, " and I have a Master Vampire that wishes to darken the sun. He may be able to get the ability to do so." Kodlak looked surprised, but didn't say anything about the vampire, instead asking about the voices. "I finally understand them and know who and what is talking. Dragons, would you believe? I've only been hearing them for the last two or three centuries. I read an Elder Scroll," at that both men started like they had been goosed, "and now I understand them. I can hear them talking to each other over great distances, sometimes I hear them arguing a very short way away. The odd thing is I hear the whisper of power coming from the ancient word wall's and I understand them also. I know I have at least one Dragon to destroy, that must be destroyed." I paused because this might be a hard thing for him to believe. I took a deep breath. " Kodlak, my old friend, some time, some how I travel to Sovngarde. I saw you there, so I know you can get free of this curse. The Elder Scroll showed showed me, I was their talking to Bjorn and I saw you also. I don't know as Tsun would allow an Altmer to cross the bridge to the door's of Shor's Grand Hall, but can or rather would an Elder Scroll lie about such a thing?"
Kodlak had a very thoughtful look on his face, as did young Viklas. Both seemed to be pondering as the three of us sat their sipping mead. Kodlak finally spoke up, " Knowing who Bjorn is to you it seem's that is something that you would want, to spend the rest of eternity with him." I nodded and he kept talking. " At the same time, by my understanding an Elder Scroll only tell's of the possibilities of the future, present or past. What will happen, what can happen and what may happen IF other things happen. So at some point you may become a great hero to us, the Nord people and that may be the reason that Tsun allowed you past the gates into the hall." he paused for just a brief second, "You really saw me their also? That's not something you just thought of because I said I was regretting my curse?" I looked at him and told him I would never say such a thing to him, I had seen him their, the Elder Scroll showed me. But as he had pointed out it was only what may happen, he would have to work at it to ensure that it did happen.
I sat their with them for another hour or so and listened to Kodlak tell the young man of our exploits when he was a young Whelp, though I had never been part of the Companions, I had always been a friend. I told one of my own, about catching him and a very prominent member of Riften society in a very compromising position. After a few more stories and a couple bottles of mead with cheese and bread to soak it up, I gave the old man a kiss on the cheek and a warrior's grip to the shoulder and took my leave. I knew I would not see him again in this life.
I went up to Dragonsreach and looked in on my old friend's their, the Jarl I just waved at as he seemed to be in a heated debate with a Redguard man. I talked to Hrongar for a while out on the balcony, it seemed he wasn't really happy with his brother's neutral stance on the civil war, he wanted some action. After awhile he left and I was beside myself, well aside from a couple guards, that never said anything to me. It was exactly what I had wanted, I needed to sort out my thoughts.
I listened to the dragons talk to each other, mainly about the return of one named Alduin. They seemed to be both terrified and in awe of him. After awhile I tuned out their voices, a trick I had learned in self-defense long ago. As Masser and Secunda trailed across the sky, I thought of the last thing the Elder Scroll's had shown me. War, not the Civil war here in Skyrim, but another massive war like the Great War. I didn't recognize the armor I was wearing, not totally unexpected, but their was nothing that I recognized either. The landscape had been faintly familar, some place I had been, but had not stayed long enough to know the land well. So definetly not Skyrim, while I can't say I know every trail, I do know all the roads, I know all the mountains well enough to use them to navigate. The Summerset Isle's perhap's, one of the few places I haven't been to often since I first left. I did not really know, but I had recognized the language of the men and women around me, Nord's. It would make sense that I was fighting at their side, I have for centuries.
I listened to the whispers of words floating on the wind, I could still see the glowing symbol's on my eyelids when I closed my eyes. I held face dearest above them all and I felt a little thrill that I would be seeing him again, even if it wasn't soon. I got up from my chair as the first light of dawn crept over the distant mountain tops. It was almost time to go. I thought for a moment and went down to Farengar's office, I knew he would be awake and I wanted to borrow some paper and send off a letter to my Aunt.
I very carefully crafted a letter to my Aunt, one that would let her know that I needed to speak with her. That some very great changes were coming and this time, she would have to pick a side. Well knowing her, she wouldn't have to pick a side, their were places she could go that might let the War to come pass her by. Decion on the other hand could not stay out of it, IF he stayed in his home. I didn't know when and I let her know that, but I did know it was coming. I would send the letter off with a ships captain I knew, that traded with an Altmer ships captain on a deserted island.
I got to the carriage right behind Serana, I don't think either of us actually slept. I knew I planned on sleeping in the carriage on the way to Solitude.
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