We flew at the level of the clouds, the Thalmor may have not given a second thought to another dragon flying around, but a Skeletal horse would have caught their attention. Two ships were anchored off shore, but many small boats dotted the shore line. They were partly hidden behind a bluff, but as the area was a known pirate layover, they wouldn't get much attention. We had been here before, so the area wasn't a complete surprise. Flying out to sea and then coming in low and from behind the bluff, we landed not to far from some of the men dotting the beach.
It didn't take long to catch up and make quick plans. I knew Zyne was worried about her Aunt, so I hurried to the other group that was on the other side of the fort hiding in the boulders and tree's. I would project to let Zyne know when we were ready also.
As I went over our plan with my group, I could feel how edgy Zyne was becoming and I hurried though last minute instructions. I made sure the two muscular young men knew that their whole job was to get Zyne's Family to the ships. Once we were in place I let Zyne know, Durnehviir took of and as he blasted those Thalmor on the wall, the rest of us rushed in to attack.
It didn't take long to finish off those Thalmor on the outside and we headed in. A couple of the healers stayed outside to tend those who were wounded and those that would go out when they were. A few of the farmers that volunteered to help us, but had no fighting skills, would carry stretchers with the wounded out to the ships once they had been tended to.
Zyne and her group had already cleared the main floor by the time my group entered, so their wasn't much to do here. I split my group up and we headed out to clear the upper floors. Room after room, was cleared, but we didn't run into as many Thalmor as I thought we should have, which didn't bode well for Zynes group headed into the dungeons.
The upper floors were barren of people, but we went room to room anyway. I sent several of my men back down, telling them to be careful but to catch up to Zyne and her people. When I ran into the man leading the other party, outside what had to be the fort commanders office. I asked him to also go down to the dungeons and help Zynes group while I rifled the commanders room for any information they might have on Zyne and her family. The Pirate Captain grinned and he and his men took off at a fast jog.
I looked around the office and went strait to the lock box on a side table. After picking the lock I looked at the journal and went to the desk. Sitting down I adjusted the light and opened the book at the back. I skimmed though the last entries, which for us looked grimmer and grimmer. They knew who we were, both Zyne and I, well Zyne did tell Gelador we would be back. She and I just hadn't planned on staying.
I tucked the journal in my pouch and then grabbed all the dispatched that had not yet went out. I would look at them later, I had all the bad news I needed right now. I could feel Zynes excitement, so I knew she must be getting closer to the dungeons. Two men followed me when I left the Commanders office, "Zynes orders Marcurio, she didn't want you left alone, just in case". one of the men said as they fell in behind me. I nodded at the men and took off at a fast jog.
As we neared the bottom of the steps leading into the dungeon, I could hear the clash of weapons. As we neared the last step and I could see over the heads of those just standing around, looking at the two people fighting in the center of the room. Several Thalmor were being lead into cell's as the two in the center fought viciously.
I pushed through people that pushed back until they noticed who I was. When I got to the front, I opened myself to Zynes thoughts and I was not at all surprised to feel the cold fury that was her entire being. It wasn't a rage that left one unthinking, but the fury of a person with no remorse about what they are about to do.
"Meet my Uncle Farinwale, Aunt Irrillia's brother, the Thalmor Commander of this fort." Zyne p projected into my head, then her mind slammed shut. It wouldn't matter, that is one man that would not leave this dungeon alive.
As they circled each other, they spoke in a language I didn't understand, but really didn't need to. The venom was understandable either way. I felt a slight stir as Elendale, the Pirate Captain walked up behind me.
As he place his hand on my shoulder he leaned closer. "Their is a full regiment of Thalmor soldiers on the way. That dragon friend of yours landed and told us. He said he can't attack them as they haven't harmed anyone here yet. I'm going to start getting all the people out of here. There is a cave through the last cell, that leads outside."
"Please just make sure that Zyne's Aunt and Uncle are taken care of. Get everyone out, I hope you got all the loot?" at his nod, I figured his people looted as they went. " Good, send someone outside and let them know they need to leave, if you haven't already." As I watched Zyne and her Uncle fight, all the others in the room left, til just she and I remained, along with the dozen or so Thalmor soldiers that had been captured.
"Sweetie please quit playing with the man and just kill him. Theirs a regiment of soldiers on the way here and I really don't want to end up in one of these cell's", I thought those words at her and at first I thought she hadn't heard me. Then I felt a shifting in her emotions, the words she spoke to him had a tinge of regret in them. I might not be a master swordsman, but I've fought with her enough to see what she was doing, a minute later his head was rolling on the floor.
Watching Marcurio leave was the hardest thing I have ever done, but we each had a role to play. Time seemed at a standstill and I couldn't help but get wire up. When I felt Marcurio's go ahead, I let Durnevhiir know we were ready. I threw out a fire ball and got one back inreturn, exactly what Durnevhiir was waiting for... His curse said he couldn't attack at random, but as soon as his summoner was attacked it became a free for all. All the mages lite up the sky, fire, ice and lightning flung around, a couple of well placed arrows also went flying. We didn't even make it to the gates before all spells stopped, no one not in our group remained alive. The main hall in the fort had many soldiers waiting for us, but we out numbered them by far, I felt Marcurio heading in and I took my group down toward the cell's on the lower level. We fought for every inch we took, the Thalmor we ready for us here. I was only worried that we wouldn't be able to break through to my Aunt and Uncle before the mages holding wards around them gave out. I didn't want them held has hostage for us to give up, so with the blood tie, they were safe as long as I lived and the mages strength held.
I tried not to look at the individual faces of those I fought, I knew I would know some of them and it hurt that we were now on different sides. We were mostly fighting with magic and bows, the space in the hallways being to narrow to really swing a sword. I used wards and mirror spells more than anything, with those behind me actually using weapons and offensive spells. We broke through to the cell area that my Aunt and Uncle were being held in. This was a very large area with cells along the outer walls and various torture devices placed here and there. The others boiled out of the hall behind me and moved to either side. I looked at all the soldiers gather between my Aunt and Uncle and us.
I noticed that the Commander stiffened when he saw me, he knew who I was then, personally. His face under the helmet looked familiar, but I couldn't really place him. He walked between two of the soldiers and took his helmet off when he was half way across the room. Their was no mistaking the family resemblance. "So which family member are you?" I asked as I took a couple step's forward, while signaling the men and women to stay back. I could feel the rage building, but it was cold and still, not the hot burning rage that makes one do stupid things. He gave a feral smile and pulled his sword.
"Farinwale, she was my sister, until she married into your pedestrian family." He looked over his shoulder at my Uncle. " looks like she did no better the second time around". He looked down at his sword and grimaced. " Prepare to die, for my orders are to not allow any of you to leave here." I held up my hand and stopped him before he took one step.
" I have no intention of allowing you to live, your men however may if they surrender now. Before you even start spouting drivel, I really don't care less about an honorable fight between the lot of us. My people have orders, Myself and the other mages all have paralysis spells at the ready. You will all be pin cushions before we can even walk across the room. Every man and woman you see is a battlemage or spellsword, with a grudge against Thalmor." He paled and looked at his men, He told them to drop there weapons and while a few looked like they might bulk, they all did. As a couple of my team walked to lock the doors to cell's that the soldiers went into. He attacked. As our blades crashed into each other and we sized up the others skill's, I decided to clue him in on the family secret. I spoke in an ancient form of Aldemeri that I knew his whole family was fluent in.
"Had your family not condemned Irrillia on her marriage, you would know exactly how old a linage she had married into. Do you know where our farmstead was located? How long the land had been in our family?" He sneered when I mentioned the farm, Aristocrats, very few remembered the land they came from.
"Your family have always been dirt farmers" The sneer was even in his voice, something that few could manage. I shook my head at him and again our swords met, but as I pulled mine back, I sliced his forearm.
"Yes, you are correct in that. There have always been farmers in our bloodline, as their are in yours." The contempt in his eyes changed briefly to surprise that I had known that. "What your family has forgotten is that once upon a time, your families hunting lodge and my families hunting lodge we adjoining. Something that has been forgotten over time, unless one really looks into there history." From behind him I saw Elendale and the two hulking farmers that would help my Aunt and Uncle get to the ships. I wondered for a brief second how he had gotten all the way around the room, but then I felt it, a cool breeze with a hint of salt. Trust a pirate to know about hidden passages. At the same time I felt Marcurio getting closer, so, he was done with his task as well. we circled each other and I saw him standing on the edge of the crowd that was watching us fight. I swung my sword and again hit his away from him, slicing his left leg this time.
" You see a poor dirt farmers daughter found my great grandfather in the burning down wreck of the hunting lodge. The only one left alive. She knew who he was and pulled him out", I sliced him across his stomach, not enough to gut him, just enough to bleed. Marcurio's voice intruded in my head, telling me to quit playing with him and kill him. "Your family are dupes, someone else figured out that our line wasn't gone and you are the dog's sent to attack their masters."
I saw the comprehension in his eyes and the shame, I nodded at him and then sent his head rolling across the floor.
**
As she turned back to me, she looked at the soldiers in the cell, a brief pause and she gathered power I could feel and all the soldiers hit the ground. "I didn't kill them, they will just sleep for 5 or 6 hours, that way they can't give us away." I walked over to her and wrapped my arms around her and felt her head hit my shoulder.
" Elendale got your Aunt and Uncle out, I didn't see them, they were gone by the time I got here" She opened her mind and I saw a picture of them they way that she had found them. There conditions were horrible, no one should have to suffer so much. "They will heal Zyne, it may take awhile, but they will heal and they will be safe. I found the commanders journal upstairs, we are going to have to lay low for awhile as well. I sent a short note with one of the farmers to Rayya, she will know what to do with anyone that comes looking." She nodded and then backed out of my arms, without a word she headed to the exit.
****
Two days later, Zyne stood next to Elendale on the bridge of his ship as we headed into a secluded bay. This was the closest the ship's could get us to the Forgotten Vale, we would have to walk from here. I watched the two of them talk, Zyne was much more relaxed today and seemed to have gotten over the sea-sickness that had plagued her the first day on board.
I handed Elendale the letters with instruction's that would go to various different people. Other people would need the sanctuary that we would offer, but we didn't want to make it to easy to find us, after all, we were all wanted by the Thalmor.
Elendale left us to work with his men to get us close to the boulder that we would tie off on, it was a slip of sorts, but bumpers had to be placed along the ships sides so that they wouldn't rub against the rocks. Zyne and I walked over to the rail and looked out. Holding her in my arms, with my chin resting on her shoulder, I asked. " Well sweetie are you going to miss all the action and excitement of vampire slaying and Thalmor intrigue?" I felt the laugh and shake of her head. She moved her hand's over mine then place them on her stomach.
"No Love, I think I can do without to much excitement, at least for 9 months or so". I turned her in my arms and gave her a kiss.
"That sweetie is all the excitement I need for the next few years. I love you, Zyne".
The valley would be our haven for the quite a while, though I know it will not hold Zynes interest forever. We will be back to fight the good fight...vampires, werewolves, rouge dragons. She was Dragonborn after all, the Gods were not done with her. What ever it may be I know my Zyne will want to be there and I will be her shadow.
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This is the end of Zynes story. Like my very favorite stories, I do not want a definitive ending, more a place that this adventure ends and the next one can begin. I will be going over the story again and edit out some things. Others while they may be wrong, will end up staying as they are, because that might end up changing the story. I know their are a couple places that the story contradicts itself and I may see if I can rewrite those areas with out having to rewrite the whole of the story. Thank you and I hope you have enjoyed reading.
