Family Matters

"Moric, you don't need to do this. You're a Vigilant, damn it! Start acting like one!"

I'd heard enough about the Vigilants of Stendarr to know they were generally good people, wanting to serve the common good and protect the people of Skyrim from nefarious daedra, though knowing that there were one or two that didn't want to enslave all of mankind or simply use us as their playthings for whatever sick desire they may have.

I was aware that some of their methods may have been harsh, but they were firm believers' in the Nine (not the Eight, no matter what the Thalmor think.) And even Serana knew something was wrong as soon as we met the first Vigilant within Ruunvald and they attacked us without hesitation. My heart sank a little each time either of us had to kill one. We tried to subdue as many as we could but they fought with such ferocity, nearing on madness, that some left us with no choice but to kill them, simply to protect ourselves.

"You come to kill Minorne. You must die!"

"For crying out loud, man, I have no idea who Minorne is!"

"She's certainly no daedra," Serana added.

"She is a God!" Moric exclaimed.

"Okay, they're all clearly insane," Serana stated without mirth.

I looked around the large chamber. Above us were a series of cages, at least three containing what appeared to be prisoners. Numerous braziers provided plenty of light while even I could sense the presence of magic. Serana had mentioned the same thing as soon as we entered Ruunvald. I had only sensed it upon entering this chamber.

A Breton woman rounded the platform upon which Moric was currently standing. He turned as she approached and he crouched down to one knee, bowing his head. Completely and utterly subservient. I know both of us were surprised, hearing Serana mutter a couple of rather rude words. The Breton gently ran a hand through the hair of Moric before she came to a stop at the top of the stairs. "You must forgive Moric. He merely wishes to ensure my protection."

"Who are you?"

She bowed though never took her eyes off us. "I am who they call Minorne."

"And you claim to be a God?" Serana asked.

"I don't claim anything. Moric, on the other hand… Moric?"

He looked up like a dutiful puppy dog. "Yes, mistress?"

"Who am I?"

"You are Minorne. Love of my life. And the one true God."

I tried really hard not to laugh. I mean, I know I sometimes laugh at the worst of times. My sense of humour can sometimes be silly. But I try not to laugh in these ridiculous situations because I know it generally leads to arguments, fights and then the death of the person I laugh at.

But…

Well, I laughed.

To say Minorne stared daggers in my direction would be a tremendous understatement. "You doubt my power as a God?"

I sighed then looked at Serana. "Care to shut her up?"

"Gladly," she replied and Minorne was proven not to be a God about five seconds later. As she slumped to the ground, Moric also slumped to the ground behind her. I wouldn't say we rushed forward, but I know I lowered my weapon as we approached his body. Serana wondered aloud if he was still alive so, with weapon still in hand, I checked him over.

"He's still breathing," I stated.

"She must have been using some sort of mind control."

"Wonder why it didn't work on us?" I looked across at the three men caged up. "Or on them? Watch him, I'll see which one of them is Florentius. Well, I hope one of them is anyway."

I checked over the body of Minorne, finding a key attached to her belt. Taking that, I approached the caged men. "Which one of you is Florentius?"

The man caged in front of me raised his hand. "That'll be me. The two other gentlemen are Vigilants too."

I unlocked the cages. The two other men simply thanked me for the rescue and disappeared through what I figured was the exit. Florentius surprised me by approaching the unconscious body of Moric, checking to see if he was still alive before he started to pray. I stood back for a few moments, not wanting to interrupt, figuring he had his reasons.

"Who sent you?" he finally asked.

"I'm a member of a group of vampire hunters called Dawnguard. Their leader, Isran, sent me to locate you."

Florentius started to laugh. "I'm sorry, but you just said Isran sent you to find me. Is this... some kind of a joke? Did Arkay put you up to this? Isran's done nothing but mock me. He's never given me the respect I deserve."

"Listen, I have no idea what conflict exists between yourself and Isran. But, I can assure you, he sent me. We have a menace on our hands and we need all the help you can provide."

"Look, I've just gotten myself out of quite a mess here, in case you haven't noticed, and while I appreciate your help, I... What's that? No, that's not what I... Yes, but... Are you sure? Really? Fine. Arkay says it's a good idea for me to go.

I held up a hand. "Hang on a second. You're saying Arkay is speaking to you… right now?"

He smiled. "Of course. We talk all the time. And while I don't agree, but he's not the sort of fellow you can just ignore. I'll see you at Fort Dawnguard, then. Don't worry, Arkay will show me the way."

Before I can even get out another word, he took one last look around the chamber, grabbed a dagger from a nearby bench and wandered towards the exit. All I could do was turn to Serana, who appeared as surprised as I did. "What was all that about?" I finally asked.

"Apparently our new recruit can speak to Arkay."

"Is that possible?"

Serana shrugged. "The Gods work in mysterious ways, Ragnar. You should know better than anyone else."

"Hmmm. Good point. Though it may explain while Isran isn't that enamoured to the guy."

"So what do we do now? No point going back to Fort Dawnguard."

"We'll head to Whiterun and prepare for the journey to your home."

*****

"Ragnar, I must admit something." I simply smiled and she gave me a curious look. "What?"

"You know about the second Scroll." It was a statement, not a question. I remembered the look on her face after Dexion had read the Scroll and she told Isran she knew nothing.

I noticed faint embarrassment cross her features, only for a moment, before she recovered herself. "You're right. Maybe I should have said something earlier but…"

"But what?"

"It's rather private and I don't feel like sharing in front of everyone. A lot of it has to do with my mother and father. And my relationship with both of them."

I looked around Breezhome. The fire was roaring, providing warmth. Other than that, we were alone. "Okay, we're alone here. Why don't you just tell me then?"

"There's a lot to tell, Ragnar. And much of I have to share is information I haven't told you before."

"Oh…"

She reached across and grabbed my hand. "Ragnar, it's rather obvious I now trust you with my life. And that is why I'm now more than willing to share anything and everything with you."

Now I felt embarrassed. My feelings, I thought, were rather obvious and I figured she either knew but ignored them or was rather oblivious. I think it was more a case of ignoring them but I didn't mind. I didn't make my own feelings too obvious too often and we still maintained a very friendly and healthy relationship.

"Okay, start at the top."

"My father was always an ambitious man. He's always been obsessed with power. But ever since he decided to make that prophecy his calling," she sighed and shrugged, "I guess you could say that we started to drift apart. Father and daughter but also husband and wife. The worst thing is, I wonder if he even sees me as his daughter anymore. I'm just… a means to an end."

"You're more than that," I stated softly. She smiled at me. Pathetically, my heart fluttered. Because it was one of those genuine smiles that lit up her face. Even her eyes, red as they were, shone brightly. The only thing missing was colour to her cheeks. "So, that first meeting with him was a reflection of that relationship?"

"I guess you can say that. He's lacked any sort of warmth or empathy for centuries. I thought..." She trailed off and sighed again. "No, I hoped that if he saw me, he might feel something again. He'd say something or make a gesture to let me know that he still… loved me like a father should. But I guess I don't really factor in at this point."

The urge to say 'I love you' was nearly overwhelming at that point. Mostly I just wanted to give her a hug but… I knew if I hugged her, I'd want to kiss her. And if I kissed her, I'd eventually want to take her upstairs. And that probably wasn't a good idea. And I didn't know if she'd say yes. So, wanting to get her mind back on whatever it was she needed to admit, instead I asked "So, the Elder Scroll. Do you know where it is?"

"I have a good idea where to start. We need to find my mother, Valerica. She'll definitely know where it is, and if we're lucky, she actually has it herself."

"But I thought you didn't know where your mother was?" I was racking my brain trying to remember if she'd even mentioned her before. Her father was generally the recipient of any derisive comments.

"The last time I saw her, the day she sealed me away, she said that she'd go somewhere safe. Somewhere that my father would never search. Other than that, she wouldn't tell me anything. But the way she said it... 'someplace he would never search'. It was cryptic, yet she called attention to it."

"Sounds like trust was lacking on all sides, to be honest. Did you trust your mother?"

"Barely. The only reason I went along with being sealed away is because we were both worried about my father. We knew what would happen if he tried to make the prophecy come true."

"Sounds like that trust from your mother to yourself may have been lacking as well."

She shrugged. "That's always a possibility. She was almost as obsessed as my father by the time she shut me in."

"Obsessed about stopping him?"

She nodded. "Yes. But we can't worry about that now. We need the Scroll, and she's our only lead. The only problem is that I can't imagine a single place my father would avoid looking. And he's had all this time, too. Any ideas?"

I thought about it for a few moments. 'He's clearly had people cross the length and breadth of Skyrim. Maybe even Tamriel… He made no mention when Serana returned home, so it sounds like he hadn't found her. Serana wouldn't be here otherwise. Hang on, why not the castle itself? It's certainly big enough…'

"Hide in plain sight," I stated.

"What's that?"

"She hasn't gone anywhere. She's still at Castle Volkihar. Hidden, but she's still there."

She laughed. "That's just like something my mother would actually do, simply to infuriate my father that little bit more."

"But you would agree it's a possibility?"

"I have no doubt my father has checked everywhere else possible." She paused, deep in thought, then started nodding to herself. "Ragnar, you're a genius! It makes sense! And… Let's see… There's a courtyard in the castle. I used to help her tend a garden there. All of the ingredients for our potions came from there. She used to say that my father couldn't stand the place. Too... peaceful."

"But she couldn't possibly just reside in a courtyard?"

She smirked. "My mother had plenty of tricks up her sleeve. But that's not to say we'll actually trip over her there. It's definitely worth a look though."

"I remember your father's warning about returning so I'm guessing we're not just going to ask for the keys to the courtyard?"

"I know a way we can get to the courtyard without arousing suspicion. There's an unused inlet on the northern side of the island that was used by the previous owners to bring supplies into the castle. An old escape tunnel from the castle exits there. I think that's our way in."

"Sounds like a plan. When do we leave?"

"You don't want to run this past Isran?"

"I'm not riding all the way back to Fort Dawnguard just to cross the entire length of Skyrim to get the Scroll. He'll be happy enough if we just return with it. We'll leave tomorrow."

That was the plan. A knock at the door changed everything.

*****

"Fralia?" I asked, unable to hide my surprise.

She cut to the chase. "Dragonborn, I need your help," she stated, her voice already quivering.

I looked back at Serana, who nodded then got out of her chair. "Come in. Take a seat by the fire," she stated kindly.

I moved out of the way and gestured for her to come inside. "Thank you but… Can you come to my home? I would feel more comfortable if we spoke there."

"Serana?"

"I'll wait here, Ragnar. It's okay. We have plenty of time."

I followed Fralia out into the darkness and noticed the little old lady constantly looking left and right, as if she was worried about being watched. I couldn't see anyone in the faint light of the braziers that held Whiterun in a faint glow. I was ready to ask what she was worried about but figured she wouldn't tell me until we go to her house. Once inside, I was greeted by a large man, almost as tall as me but certainly broader, brandishing an enormous battle-axe. He took a couple of steps menacingly towards me.

"Mother, what's the meaning of this? Who have you brought into our home?"

My hand automatically moved towards my hip. It was only when I clasped nothing but thin air that I remembered my sword was still sat on my bed at Breezehome. I swore under my breath and prepared to move quickly in case he swung.

"Avulstein, put that down right now! He's here to help us find Thorald!"

'Who? Who is this in front of me and who is Thorald?'

Avulstein continued to glare at me, at least for a few seconds longer, leaving me wondering if was going to swing. Then he nodded, lowering the weapon. "All right, mother."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "I can't take any more of this. No weapons, please. Let's just talk," she stated quietly.

"I don't have one," I stated, holding my hands away from my body, "I've only come to talk."

He just looked me up and down before looking at his mother though I noticed the eyes watched me. "Mother, you should know we can't trust anyone! Who knows what they'll do if they find me here. How do we know he's not spying for the Battle-Born? This was foolish!"

"Hang on a second. Your mother just knocked at my door asking for help. All I've done is follow her here. I have no idea why I'm here. All I'm willing to do is listen to whatever you have to say."

"Please, take a seat by the fire, Ragnar. I can explain everything," Fralia stated, "Would you like a drink before we begin?"

"I'll have an ale if you have one."

"Of course. Avulstein?"

"Not right now, mother."

As Fralia disappeared into what I assumed was the kitchen, Avulstein stood on the other side of the fire, arms crossed over his chest and, while he didn't glare, his eyes watched me continuously. "Why are you here?" he finally asked.

"Your mother just…"

"Did the Battle-Born's put you up to this?"

"No."

"The Jarl?"

"No."

Then the giant man actually sagged. "So you're actually here because…"

"Your mother asked for my help."

He nodded and finally took a seat to my left, near the fire. "It's my brother," he admitted quietly.

"Your brother?"

He nodded again. "He's missing. And it's tearing my mother apart. The only thing that's keeping her going is the unshakable belief that Thorald is still alive. She believes it. And I… I believe it. But I only believe it because she does."

"Is there any evidence he is still alive?"

"There isn't any evidence one way or the other."

We quieted down when Fralia walked into the room holding two bottles. She handed one to me and one to her son. He was ready to protest but she just shushed him again, saying I was to be trusted because I was the Dragonborn. But she didn't know me from a stranger in the street so wondered why she was so willing to trust me.

"You're a Stormcloak supporter," she stated.

I looked at Avulstein, who I could see was judging my reaction. I turned my attention back to Fralia. "I was."

Fralia narrowed her eyes. "But no longer?"

"It's not that easy to explain. And a lot has happened since I crossed the border with the intention of joining the Stormcloaks. But whether I am or not doesn't matter. You brought me here for a reason. Why don't you explain what's happened?"

She looked at Avulstein, who simply nodded for her to continue. She looked at me and I could see the shimmer in her eyes. "Thorald, my son... He went missing, fighting the Imperials… So long ago now. Eorlund and I... We both miss our son terribly."

"He never mentioned a missing son to me."

"I know. You are the Harbinger and I wanted to approach you earlier but he told me not to bother you about this."

"What's changed your mind?"

"You helped the Companions. You defeated the Dragons. I just want you to help bring my son back to me."

Her words were crushing in their weight. Part of me just wanted to reach out and console this heartbroken old woman. Was Thorald still alive? I had no idea. Stormcloak or not, I'll admit that I just wanted to help her, no matter the outcome. Every mother deserved to know what happened to their child. I remembered my mother waiting for news of my father. For so long she waited until someone knocked at our door. I still remember her cries when told the news…

"Okay, I'm willing to help, but is there any evidence that your son still lives?"

"I just... I just know it. I can feel it in my heart. Please, you have to believe me. They say that he was killed, but I know better. A mother always knows. And I know my son is alive! Those Battle-Born... They're in with the Imperials. They know it too. They know he's alive and he's being held somewhere. Yet they lie to my very face!"

I could only raise my eyebrows at her linking the Battle-Born family to the possible disappearance. "Why do you accuse the Battle-Born family of being involved?"

"It's hardly a secret that they have ties to the Empire, and hate anyone who speaks out against it. Thorald did worse. He took action against the Empire, and the Battle-Borns knew it."

I nodded as what she said was correct. I'd heard Olfrid continually bang the drum of support for the Empire while Idolaf had actually served with the Empire before. 'What about Jon? Perhaps I can ask him? He's a friend and he's always been honest with me.' I wanted to put her mind at ease. If I could find out if Thorald was alive, I knew I'd offer to help. But if the news was bad, then she at least deserved to know. But her argument was convincing. There was something in her tone that suggested she did actually know he was alive.

"Will you help us, Dragonborn?" Avulstein asked.

"I will. Leave it with me and I'll see what I can find out. You know Jon Battle-Born?" They both nodded. "He's a good man and I know hasn't been involved in the dispute between your families. I'll ask him for a favour."

"I don't trust any of them but if you think that's the best course of action," he stated in return.

"Thank you, Dragonborn."

I returned home and informed Serana of what had been requested. She could only smile at me. "Feeling obliged to help out again?"

"I remember my mother waiting for news of my father…"

"So what will you do?"

"I'll speak to Jon tomorrow morning. I'm not sure if he'll even know anything but I see no harm in asking."

My conversation, when I ran into Jon around town, was stranger than I was expecting. I eventually broached the topic of Thorald and Jon remained quiet for a few seconds before he leaned in close and said 'Meet me outside the Honningbrew Meadery after sunset tonight'. Before I could ask why, he put a finger to his lips, shook his head and then disappeared through the crowds. I returned to Breezehome, clearly perplexed, or at least that is what Serana said. I explained our conversation and, while she didn't think it was a trap, she warned we should be careful.

With little to do, I spent most of the day in Jorrvaskr. The twins continued to run the Guild while I was away, though they approached me with one or two issues which they figured required my attention, including running my eye over the latest recruits. It was good to see the beds starting to fill up and my question regarding work was heartily answered, Vilkas stating the Guild was busier than ever. The best news, though, was that Aela was back home, though she was still confined to bed more often than not. She looked far healthier than last I'd seen her and assured me she would soon be up and fighting again. I simply told her to be careful, take her time and looked after herself. Though I knew she was actually dying of boredom so wasn't surprised she was desperate to get up and moving.

Once the sun disappeared over the mountains and braziers were being lit across the city, Serana and I headed out of the city. Every single guard I passed returned the usual salute, arm across the chest and a bow, whispers of 'Dragonborn'. I still wasn't used to the adulation, though even civilians and friends I knew did the same thing. Sometimes I think it was tongue in cheek though I wasn't always sure.

Jon was waiting for me outside the meadery. That wasn't the surprise. Who he was alongside, and holding hands with, brought me to a standstill. Serana didn't know much about the politics of Whiterun so I knew I would have to explain my confusion.

"You and… Olfina?" I finally asked.

"I love her."

"And I love him."

"But it's a secret. We can't tell anyone. It would do one of two things. Either heal the rift between our families or cause further divide."

"And I believe it will only deepen the divide. My father would lock me in my bedroom in an effort to stop me seeing him."

"So why are you both out here?" I asked.

"Because I spoke to Olfina after our conversation earlier. She just wants to know the truth, like her mother. So I did some searching one the family had left the house for the day." He sighed before reaching into his pocket, pulling out a letter. "I found this…"

I read the letter twice then handed it to Serana. I had only one question. "Where's Northwatch Keep?"

"It's in the north-west of Skyrim."

"Sounds like it could be near my home," Serana added.

"We can check a map in Jorrvaskr. They may have the exact location."

"Any idea why the Imperials let the Thalmor take your brother?" Serana asked.

"If it's the Thalmor, then it's to do with our Talos worship. But we all worship him so why they've chosen to only take Thorald, I don't know," Olfina stated.

Jon sighed. "Idolaf was once a good friend of Thorald, just like our families were once allies in ensuring Whiterun was a prosperous community. This war has destroyed all that and, even if or when the war ends, I'm not sure the rift can ever heal. Too much has been done and said for a simple apology from either side to heal the wounds."

"Please bring my brother home, Ragnar. That's all I can ask. I don't care if the Imperials were involved all not. If he was simply a prisoner of war, then that is acceptable. But I will not accept him being held by the Thalmor."

"Nor I," Jon added.

"I'll bring him home."