Blood

I'd met some gruff, blunt, stoic, unapproachable and cold people in my life but absolutely none came close the leader of the Dawnguard, known as Isran. I'd met men and women with hearts full of hate, but his hatred of vampires was something else altogether. The very first meeting had me wondering just how far he would go and just what exactly he would do to end the menace. Some of those thoughts ended with 'I may have to stop him.' Not the greatest of introductions but I also believed his heart was in the right place. He wanted to stop the vampire menace and protect the people of Skyrim.

He wasn't particularly impressed, or didn't seem to be, that I was Dragonborn. He must have believed me, though, because he didn't ask for a demonstration of my gift. What he did state, though, was that all initiates were to undergo a trail and, Dragonborn or not, I had to prove myself worthy of joining the Dawnguard. I simply asked what he wanted me to do.

"I have heard rumours of a vampire stalking Morthal," he stated, his voice low and gravelly, "Head there right away and find out if those rumours are true. If there is a vampire or are vampires around Morthal, wipe them out without hesitation."

The only question I asked is how he had heard of this rumour and said his recruiters often brought back rumours about vampires. I had no idea it was such a widespread problem, Isran stating that many vampires worked in secret and chose to live in many communities, the citizens unaware that a vampire was in their presence until it was too late.

Isran had little else to say, stating he wasn't going to explain anything else until I was formerly inducted into the order. I figured he wanted to keep secrets, and probably didn't trust me. Then again, I had the feeling he didn't really trust anyone. So I headed straight back to Riften. Lydia was surprised to see me return so quickly, explaining what I had been instructed to do.

We left Riften the next morning, passing Mjoll standing by the city gates, promising that we would return one day soon. I even ventured that I may help in regards to the Thieves Guild problem. I had no idea what I could actually do to help but the intention, I felt, was noble nonetheless. Mjoll thanked me, replying that she may eventually take me up on the offer when the time comes.

Lydia asked if we would head to Whiterun first but I said we should head straight to Morthal. I wanted to complete the task as soon as possible so I could find out more about the Dawnguard. She laughed as I explained my meeting with Isran, adding that she was even happier that I hadn't requested she join. I retorted by saying I'd order her to join if she wasn't careful.

In the end, we did stop in Whiterun for the night, arriving well after dark and both of us exhausted in the saddle. There was still no word from Delphine, which was starting to worry me, knowing she was investigating the Thalmor. Vilkas knocked on my door not long after we got home and I felt that I had to explain what I was up to. He said Wuuthrad still wasn't ready so I had some time and the Companions would wait for me anyway, understanding that I did have other jobs to do.

Before I left the next morning, I told Lydia that she didn't have to accompany me considering what I would be investigating. She, of course, wouldn't hear of it, stating she was my housecarl and that she was my sword and shield. I wasn't going to argue as I figured I'd need all the help I can get if or when I eventually had to battle a vampire. So we left together before sun-up and rode like the wind, arriving in Morthal in the afternoon, though you wouldn't have thought so considering the mist and fog that appeared to descend upon the town as we entered and the chill wind that blew through it. Skjor had been right; it was a miserable little town, the road through the middle churned into mud, the citizens as miserable as the weather.

I'll be honest about one thing. I had no idea what I was looking for. I assumed if there was a vampire or vampires in Morthal, they would be hiding in plain sight. I'd seen pictures in books my mother had shown me, so I had a basic idea of what they looked like, and the concern was that, most of the time, they looked like us. I would have to question some of the people and figure out who may be the vampire stalking Morthal.

The first thing we did was find the inn and the burned out house nearby was the first thing to grab my attention. As I bought Lydia and I a room each for a couple of nights, I asked the landlady, who introduced herself as Jonna, a few what I hoped appeared innocent questions about Morthal. She was very talkative, excited that she had some customers so I found gathering information from her was easy enough. I ended the conversation thinking I would need to approach the Jarl and possibly offer my services.

Highmoon Hall, the Jarl's residence, wasn't anything I would call spectacular, particularly compared to as residences such as Dragonsreach. Nevertheless, I entered and once again found the jarl's housecarl approaching me with a hand on the hilt of his weapon, ready to draw.

"Who are you, stranger?"

I had to select which title. "My name is Ragnar. Thane of Whiterun. Circle Member of the Companions. Initiate of the Dawnguard. Oh, and also the Last Dragonborn."

The housecarl simply blinked at me, stunned at the number of titles headed his way. "Oh, and what is your business with the jarl?"

"I have been sent by the Dawnguard to investigate rumours of a vampire preying on the people of Morthal."

"Vampires?" he questioned quietly. I nodded. "Approach the jarl right away."

I followed the housecarl as he bent down and whispered in the jarl's ear, no doubt explaining who I was and what I was doing there. I noticed the eyes look me up and down a couple of times as she also nodded to herself. Finally, the housecarl stopped and took a couple of steps back, standing guard once again as the jarl leaned forward in her chair.

"Where did you hear rumours of vampires in Morthal?"

"I've been sent by the Dawnguard leader, Isran, to investigate."

She nodded. "Yes, I've heard rumours of this Dawnguard. A pack of vampire hunters, correct?" I nodded. "I don't know anything about vampires stalking my city. Morthal is a safe place to live. However, may I ask a request of you since you're here?"

"Of course."

"You saw the burned house outside?" I nodded again. "I would like to know if that was a terrible accident or a case of arson. It was once owned by Hroggar, who lived there with his wife and daughter. One night, only a fortnight or so ago, a terrible fire burned the house to the ground with his wife and daughter inside. Hroggar, conveniently or not, depending on what you think, was not home."

"You believe Hroggar was involved?"

"What I believe isn't important. But the people talk. And the fact he moved in with another woman, Alva, before the embers were even cold would suggest something untoward, wouldn't you say?"

"No, it certainly doesn't look good."

"If it all was an innocent set of coincidences, then so be it. But if Hroggar murdered his wife and child, I want to know about it and he must face justice. And if, through this investigation, you find that a vampire or vampires are stalking Morthal, then you have my permission to do whatever is necessary to ensure the protection of my people. Understood?"

"Yes, my jarl," I stated, bowing slightly.

Lydia had waited outside for me as I spoke with the jarl, immediately questioning what we were going to do. I simply gestured for her to follow me back towards the inn before turning towards the remains of Hroggar's residence. We stopped before climbing the steps and explained what the jarl had told me.

"Who would do such a thing?" she eventually asked.

"I'm not sure. I'm tempted to ask Hroggar directly about what happened but I don't want to scare him off. Or involve myself in a situation which would force me to hurt him before my investigation is complete. I'll be honest, I have no idea what I need to look for though." I gestured towards the house. "There's nothing left of it. And I'm certainly not trained to investigate such things as arson."

"I've spoken to one or two other citizens at least willing to talk. In addition to this house fire, the wife of another man, Thonnir, has disappeared recently. Then there is the arrival of a new mage, Falion."

"Did you speak with him?"

She shook her head. "No. Apparently he is reclusive. Funny thing is, they don't suspect he's up to anything. They just don't like the fact he's moved here."

"So you don't think he's involved in all this?"

"From what I've been told, no. But the rumours about Hroggar… The evidence of what happened after the fire could speak volumes about him."

"But to murder your own wife and child?"

"What do you plan on doing, my thane?"

I shrugged. "Look around what's left of the house, I guess."

Lydia kept watch outside as I climbed the steps and passed the threshold, unsure of what I would find. Like I thought, there was little left apart from the burned remains of the walls and furniture within, all now covered with a thin layer of snow, assuming the roof burned away during the fire. There was little for me to check but I got down on my knees and looked through the now cold fireplace, wondering if I could find anything incriminating. It was then that I heard a voice behind me.

"Is that you, father?"

I looked around, wondering where the voice came from. Then, out of nowhere, a ghost appeared in a dark corner of the ruined house. Or, at least, I thought it was a ghost. I'd read stories about ghosts, spirits who had been unable to ascend, and while most ghost stories were meant to frighten, it was clear this was the ghost of a little girl. And, more than likely, the ghost of the little girl killed in the fire. I got to my feet, wiping my hands on my armour as I approached the ghost, getting down on a knee to meet her, well, eye level.

"Who are you?" I asked kindly.

"I'm Helgi. But father says I'm not supposed to talk to strangers. Are you a stranger?"

"No. And I can be your friend if you can tell me what happened to your house?"

"The smoke woke me up. It was hot, and I was scared, so I hid. Then it got cold and dark. I'm not scared anymore." 'Does she even know she's dead?' It was a terrible thought. "I'm lonely. Will you play with me?"

'This may be the only way I can make a connection with the ghost and find out what happened.' "I'll play. But, if I do, will you be able to tell me who set the fire?"

"Okay! But let's play hide and seek. If you find me, I'll tell you what you want to know."

"Do you want to play now?"

"No. We have to wait for night-time. The other one is playing too, and she can't come out until then."

'The other one? What does she mean? Her mother?' "Who's the other one?"

Her voice turned quiet, glancing around before she answered. It was obvious that she was scared. "I can't tell you now. She might hear me. But if you find me first, I can tell you. I promise." And, with that, she suddenly disappeared. I turned to see Lydia standing in the doorway, white as a sheet.

"Was that… Was that a ghost?"

I nodded. "It was the ghost of the little girl."

"I thought I heard two voices so came to make sure everything was okay. But a ghost? What is happening to this town?"

"I don't know, but I think I have a lead. She wants to play hide and seek. But where would a ghost hide? She wouldn't hide here. It would have to be somewhere she would know."

"In stories, ghosts are always found in haunted houses. Or cemeteries."

Our eyes met as we had it figured out already. "Let's ask around where the nearest cemetery is. We'll head there after nightfall."

We spent the rest of the afternoon in the tavern, avoiding the temptation of drinking a tankard or two of ale. We would both need a clear head if we had to battle a vampire. There were few customers walking through the door, even after the sun went down and the expectation that workers would head in for at least a drink. Something about Morthal just didn't add up.

One of the town guard pointed the way to the cemetery and I made sure we approached with weapons in hand. Lydia wasn't tense behind me but I knew of her worries about facing a vampire. She met my glance with a simple nod as we crested the small hill to be greeted by a scene of horror. A coffin had been dug up, small enough to indicate it held the body of a child. The lid of the coffin had been partially torn away and you could see the burned remains inside. I heard Lydia whisper something behind me as our focus was taken by the woman standing next to the coffin, turning towards us, her face immediately changing, eyes red, fangs protruding from her mouth as she attacked.

I generally don't use my Voice unless I'm in a battle with dragons. The Greybeards gave me plenty of advice and one thing I keep in mind is not to abuse such a gift. But, in times where my life is on the line, I'm going to use every advantage I've got. Considering I have beast-blood and refuse to give into temptation to use that, I'll use my other advantage. Before the vampire got close enough, I shouted, sheathing the vampire in flames, hearing her screams as Lydia and I fell upon her, cutting her down with numerous swings of our swords. The vampire fell to the ground as the flames disappeared, her blood soaking the ground around us.

I approached the coffin and gently placed the lid back in place. It was then that I heard Helgi's voice.

"You found me! Laelette was trying to find me too, but I'm glad you found me first. You see, she was told to burn mummy and me, but she didn't want to. She wanted to play with me, forever and ever. So she kissed me on the neck, and I got so cold that the fire didn't even hurt. Laelette thought she could take me and keep me, but she can't. I'm all burned up. I'm tired. I'm going to sleep for a while now."

I'll admit right now, I had to wipe my cheek after hearing that story. 'Turning a child into a vampire? Who would even think about doing such a thing?' I then felt a tap on my shoulder, turning as Lydia pointed towards the row of torches heading our way. I stepped forward as a number of the townsfolk approached us, figuring their inquisitiveness came from hearing my Voice.

"What have you done?" one of the men asked.

"I haven't done anything. She," I pointed towards the dead body, "Was a vampire. She had tried to turn the little girl, Helgi, into a vampire too."

I heard a cry from the middle of the crowd, one of the men pushing the others out of the way as he collapsed to his knees next to the body. "No! Laelette!"

"You know this woman?"

He looked up at me. "Of course I do! She's my wife! But…"

"But what?"

"I thought she'd run off to join the Stormcloaks. She left me a note just a week past, telling me she wanted to serve Jarl Ulfric."

I noticed a shuffle within the crowd, expecting to see someone step forward. None did, but they all looked uncomfortable. 'Morthal is an Imperial town, after all.' I got down on my knees next to the man. "What's your name?"

"What does it matter?"

"Because I can help find whoever is responsible for this."

He looked at me, as if judging my sincerity. Then he sighed. "I'm Thonnir. And this is… was my wife, Laelette. We've been married many years now. Have kids of our own. Life was always hard, but we always had each other." He paused. "But a vampire? How…"

"She was probably turned into one by someone else. Did you wife start acting strange recently?"

He scratched his head. "Well, now that I think about it, yes, she did. There's another woman in our town, by the name of Alva. The two never saw eye to eye about anything. Constantly bickering about the silliest of things. But in the last couple of weeks before she left that note, she started spending a lot more time with Alva. I thought it was strange but thought they perhaps finally mended their relationship."

"How well do you know Alva?"

He shrugged. "Well enough. I never had a problem with her. She was kind enough to tell me that Laelette had been the one who had told her about joining the Stormcloaks, the last day I saw my wife alive. I found the letter at home after Alva had told me."

"Thanks for telling me this information." He nodded and didn't say a thing as I walked back towards Lydia, noticing the crowd was already starting to disperse, one or two others approaching Thonnir and helping him to his feet, escorting him back to town. "I think we have a lead," I told Lydia once we were alone.

"What do you think?"

"Only one person links Laelette and the fire. Alva."

"You think she's a vampire?"

"I'd put all the coin I have on it. I don't think we should waste any time."

I asked one of the town guard where she lived, subtly suggesting that she may be at the centre of the problems affecting Morthal. While I wouldn't say the guard was convinced, he told me what I needed to know, suggesting in return that the guards may turn a blind eye if what I suggested was true. Knowing Hroggar now lived with Alva, I figured he may be in residence. I had never met the man before so didn't know if he was in the crowd or not.

"How do we handle this?" Lydia asked as I was about to knock on the door.

"If Alva is a vampire, he's either already one himself or is under some sort of spell. In fact, he'd have to be. Jonna said he was devoted to his wife and child until the fire. You said it yourself, how can a man move in with another woman when he hadn't even buried his wife and child?"

"So what are you going to do?"

"I don't want to kill him, so I'll knock him out and deal with those consequences later."

I knocked on the door and waited for a reply. I heard footsteps from within. "Who is it?"

"I have information about what happened to your wife and child, Hroggar."

"They are no longer my concern."

I glanced at Lydia, whose face told a thousand stories. 'I think she wants to kill him.' "Do you not care what happened to them? I have the evidence with me. Let me in so I can at least show you."

I had no idea how convincing I sounded. But finally he replied, "Very well."

I readied myself for when the door opened. As soon as there was a crack, I rushed forward, putting my shoulder into the door, knocking Hroggar back. What I carried out next could only be termed as an assault. But, as I said, I didn't particularly want to kill him, only knock him out. I hit him in exactly the right place, more through luck than any skill, sending him crashing to the ground unconscious.

"Good hit, my thane."

"Thanks. Have a look around while I move him onto the bed."

Once moved, I checked him over to make sure he wasn't a vampire. I saw no sign that he was so figured he must have been under a spell. 'Further proof I know little about vampirism. Hopefully Isran can tell me more.' We searched upstairs but found nothing incriminating. What we found downstairs, though, was all the evidence we needed. The coffin was empty, slightly disappointing as I wanted to run Alva through right away. But we found her journal and the contents within were simply horrifying. I handed it to Lydia to have a read as well.

"We need to find this Movarth," I stated once she was done.

"By Ysmir, they were going to turn the whole town! We need to find this Alva and end her."

"No doubt she's with this Movarth. We'd better visit the jarl first thing in the morning. She'll want to know about all of this."

The next morning, we gave the journal to the jarl who, after reading through the journal twice, tasked us with one simply job. Eiminate the vampire known as Movarth. If we found Alva, we were to eliminate her as well. The jarl may have wanted to actually arrest her, but considering she was now a vampire, and proven to keep men under a spell, she thought it best to eliminate the threat. Exiting the hall, I was surprised to see what appeared to be half of Morthal's population, armed with pitchforks and pickaxes, ready to head off.

"Do you even know where his lair is?" I asked.

"One of the girls saw Alva head towards a nearby cave. That has to be where the vampires live."

"And what are you going to do?" Lydia asked.

"We're going to help kill him."

Lydia and I shared a glance, no doubt both of us thinking along the same lines. I held up both hands. "Look, your hearts are in the right place but have any of you ever fought a vampire before?" I heard the murmurs but there was no missing that there wasn't a single positive response. "I have experience fighting vampires. I also have experience fighting dragons. Trust me, I'm the best person to deal with this issue, and so is my companion here."

"So we should just stay here as cowards?" one of the men asked.

"You want to throw your life away when others are far more capable of handling this issue?" I knew the question was harsh but, I'll be honest, I didn't want them getting in the way, and I didn't want to worry about protecting them either. None of them looked like warriors or former soldiers. They were farmers and millers. While I don't think they were happy, I noticed a few of the weapons start to lower as they started to think. "I'll put it like this. I'm going to Movarth's lair and I'm going to end the threat to Morthal. Those of you who want to come with me, I can't stop you. But I'm also not going to possibly get myself killed by keeping you alive." A few more grumbles but I knew I'd convinced them to stay at home as most of the improvised weapons were now lowered. "Okay, now can someone point me in the direction of his lair."

Fifteen minutes later, Lydia and I were standing outside the entrance to the cave. Concerning to both of us was the blood trail we followed about halfway from town to the cave, leaving us both wondering who or what had bled so much.

"Ready, Lydia?"

I knew she hated facing vampires, telling me as much. But she looked at me and I could see the determination. "Ready, my thane."

It was another dark and gloomy cave, mist appearing to rise from the ground. Neither of us had torches so had to rely on whatever light was available, thankfully there were torch scones located around so we were not completely in the dark. There was no missing the smell of blood coming from deeper within the cave, almost overpowering with each step forward we took. After taking care of a lone guard, who appeared to be a thrall, we eventually arrived in a larger cavern which revealed the atrocity that had taken place.

After killing another thrall, we counted the bodies. There were far too many for them to have all been from Morthal. Isran was right. This was much worse that anyone thought.

"They must be killing travellers," Lydia muttered.

"The jarl didn't mention anyone going missing from Morthal itself. The vampires must be stalking the roads. The road leading north back west does go up to Solitude. Wouldn't be surprised if some of these poor souls were on their way there."

Bodies. Body parts. And the ground was soaked in blood. I'd seen one or two horrific things in my time but this was right up there as one of the worst. I felt my hand automatically grip the hilt of my sword just that bit tighter, feeling angrier with each passing moment. I would have to calm that, though. 'Can't fight angry. That's how you make mistakes. And you can't do that against a vampire.' We found another passage and followed that, eventually coming to another large chamber. There was a large dining table in the middle, lit with candles and covered in food. A dozen seats surrounded the table. Sat in one of the seats, at the head, was a vampire.

"Movarth!" I yelled, grabbing his attention.

I noticed the grin. And the fangs. "Ah, another meal has just arrived. Yes, both of you will do just nicely."

I just lifted my blood covered sword and beckoned him on. He rushed towards me and I saw his face as he used some sort of spell on me. And he was ugly, face pinched by the disease that ravaged his body. And the smell… If I wasn't already used to such smells, I'd have thrown up. I lifted my shield to block the spell, but it didn't seem to work. So I went on the attack, hearing Lydia yell something to my side as she attacked someone else.

I assumed Movarth was old. Very old. And also experienced, as he was an expert swordsman. I made sure he didn't get close, keeping him back by either bashing him with my shield or thrusting with my sword. I didn't want to get in a long battle, wanting to end this as soon as possible.

I let him come forward, using my shield to block as I simply parried other attacks. I wanted him to get confident that he would defeat me. Then he'd get sloppy and overconfident, letting his desire for my blood overcome his senses. Then I'd strike.

"I'm going to keep you alive as one of my thralls," he threatened.

I just smiled as I continued to defend, easily deflecting his shots, but I'd been in enough battles to see he was on the verge of making a mistake. I watched his body language, the way he moved his sword. Any time he tried to use a spell, I simply counter-attacked, making him use two hands on his sword. Otherwise, I continued to bide my time, waiting for the perfect moment.

"Morthal will be mine!" he shouted.

He made a mistake. And my sword went straight through him, the point coming out his back. He shouted out in surprise as I made sure I rammed the sword home again then twisted it, hearing him growl. I withdrew the sword as he collapsed to the ground and I took his head to finish the job. I turned to see Lydia putting the finishing touches on a second thrall.

"Where's Alva?" she asked.

"She must be here. Keep looking."

We found her in another chamber further in, cowering behind a cupboard. As soon as she saw us, she started pleading for her life. Lydia stepped forward, I assume to put her down, but I called her to a halt. She looked at me, obviously perplexed.

"Alva?"

She looked at me, and although she was clearly a vampire, she was not what I expected, in the sense that she was frightened. I'd never met a frightened vampire before. "I was under his spell. I didn't know what I was doing," she pleaded.

"You were going to use the people of your own city as blood cattle!" Lydia shouted, her body language suggesting she was ready to strike.

"I didn't want any of this! I just wanted some excitement in my life…"

"And Hroggar? His wife and child?" Alva didn't respond, simply shaking her head. "And Laelette? Were any of them given a choice?"

"He made me do it! You wouldn't understand… He promised me…"

"You do realise you can't go back to Morthal. You wouldn't last thirty seconds. We'd be doing you a favour by killing you here instead."

"No! Please, don't! I…"

"Lydia?"

"It's your choice, my thane."

I approached Alva, using the point of my sword to lift her chin towards me. I made sure she looked directly into my eyes. I expected to find nothing but evil in them but, while dark red, they did not reveal the horrors I had seen in Movarth's. She also didn't have the usual appearance of a vampire, suggesting she had only recently been turned. "I'm going to do something I never expected to ever do, particularly when it comes to dealing with a vampire. I'm going to let you go. But you are to leave Morthal alone. And you are to leave Skyrim. Don't go to Cyrodil either, or any other Imperial province. They are under my protection, as is this land. If I hear of another vampire stalking a town anywhere in the Empire, I will track it down. And if I find out it is you, I will cut you down myself, or even hand you to the Dawnguard. Do you understand what I mean?" Alva nodded. "Do not make me regret this decision."

Alva nodded. "You won't. I promise," she practically sobbed.

I removed the sword point and gestured towards the exit. "You first." She gathered a coat, putting it on, and we escorted her out of the lair. Once outside, I pointed in the opposite direction of Morthal. "Remember, if I ever see you again, I will cut you down without hesitation." She simply nodded and I watched her walk away.

"Are you sure that was wise, my thane?" Lydia asked once the vampire was out of earshot.

"Probably not. But I think she was under a spell, just like everyone else in Morthal. The journal said she was bored and looking for excitement. No doubt Movarth fed on that. We all know how seductive vampires can be, promising the world but ending up as slaves. I actually pity her in a way." I shrugged. "Add to that, I just wanted to prove, maybe to myself, that the Dragonborn can be merciful, even to creatures that I would normally strike down without a second thought. You understand what I mean?"

"I do, my thane."

"Come on, we should report to the jarl that Morthal is now safe."

The jarl was happy to hear that Movarth had been slain, though I lied about Alva, saying she was cut down too. They'd never see Alva again so didn't think that would cause me a problem in the end. Other than that, the jarl simply thanked me for our help, rewarded us with a bag of coin, polite enough not to check its contents in front of her, before I bade her farewell. Not wanting to spend any more time than necessary in the town, we mounted our horses and started the journey back to Whiterun.