Steam

"Beautiful."

She certainly is… I mean, it certainly was. The glade, that is. We'd both gasped as we entered, the colours on display breath-taking in their vastness. It was so quiet and peaceful. I would have liked nothing better than to a build a tiny house in the corner and spend the rest of my life there. So in love with the place Serana already was that she wandered around, mouth agape, as giddy as a small child. I simply followed her and watched the smile on her face grow larger with each passing minute, commenting to herself or to me as we wandered around.

"Remember the courtyard?" she asked.

"I do."

"This… This is even better! I've never seen anything like it before."

In addition to the colours of the flowers and trees, we followed a stream towards a waterfall, while there were numerous steam pools, causing a steady yet rising mist. I thought it had felt a lot warmer in the glade and this was certainly one of the reasons.

"Ragnar, do you mind?" she asked, pointing at one of the steam pools.

I didn't quite know what she meant. "What do you want to do?"

"I've never had the chance to soak in one of these pools before. And I'm not sure I'll ever have another chance. So… Would you like to join me?"

'Um, yes please!'

"Sure."

I'll admit I stood and watched as she disrobed. Her skin was… well, I was close enough to see it was smooth though incredibly fair. Surprisingly, as I'd assumed, practically unaged. Perhaps it was all the time she'd spent in the tomb asleep that had kept her looking so youthful. Or simply the age at which she'd been turned. She was also rather slim once standing in front of me with cloth only covering her breasts and her lower regions. Then she turned and noticed me staring. I felt heat rise in my cheeks and I looked away, though kept glancing her way as she lowered herself into one of the pools.

"It's so warm!" I don't think in all the time I'd known her that I'd ever heard her sound so excited. "Are you going to join me?"

My armour went flying in different directions before I joined her. She was right. The water was warm. I'm not sure what was actually in the water but after only a couple of minutes, I felt completely relaxed, all the old aches and pains starting to wash away. The water wasn't deep and allowed us to sit on the bottom, reclining against one of the sides and simply… try not to fall asleep.

"Do we have to leave this place?"

I couldn't help the chuckle. "We can always come back," I muttered, learning back with my eyes closed, simply enjoyed the ambient noise. The water cascading down the waterfall. I think there were animals, perhaps birds, flapping around. Even the sound of the pools bubbling as the steam continued to warm us was enough to add to the serenity.

Movement beside me grabbed my attention as I continued to relax, my arms spread out along the edge of the pool. I opened one eye to see Serana had moved closer and was looking at me. Well, at my body.

"You have a lot of scars."

"I've been in a lot of fights."

"Do they hurt?"

"They did at the time. Mostly it's the aches and pains nowadays. I'm an old man before my time."

"What was the worst?"

"Fight?" She nodded. "Apart from having to face down Alduin?"

She actually giggled. "Yes, Ragnar. Your worst fight? Let's say the worst fight that didn't involve dragons. Or vampires."

"I've had some bad experiences since arriving in Skyrim but my worst was back in Chorrol."

"What happened?"

"I'd been ascending the ranks and was soon one of the Guild Master's most trusted lieutenants. I remember him fondly. He was a good man and a great leader. And he also trusted me above nearly all my peers. I was sent to the city of Leyawiin as a new mercenary group was trying to establish themselves in Cyrodiil but we heard rumours not all was what it seemed. I infiltrated the group, working undercover. I found out they were using some sort of strange drug to help their fighting prowess, in addition to committing crimes against the local population. Once I reported this to the Guild Master, he told me I had to take them out."

"What happened?"

"I almost died. At least a half dozen of my associates were killed in the battle. I cut a swathe through the bastards, taking a couple of wounds along the way, until I had to face their leader. Argonian bastard. And he was fast. I knew I was in trouble immediately and I still say it was luck that I managed to get the killing blow. I was found long after the battle had ended next to him, covered in my own blood, wounds all over my body. They originally thought I was dead. It was only when I groaned as they moved me that they realised I was still alive. They escorted me straight to the nearest temple to start healing. It took months until I was at full fitness."

"So that explains the scars?"

"At least some of them, yes."

"How old are you?"

I had to think about it and realised I didn't really know. "I'm not sure."

She laughed at me. "Do you not have a birthday?"

"I don't remember the date. And the last time I celebrated any sort of birthday was when my mother was still alive." I shrugged. "It's not that important. The only important thing is that I'm still alive."

"Do you miss Chorrol?"

"Sometimes I miss the simplicity of the farm. Life was hard after mother died, having to look after it by myself was difficult. But I didn't abandon the farm. Mother always knew I wanted to be a warrior."

"You miss her?"

"Every day, though I try not to think about it. But I watched her slowly die over at least two winters. That… stays with you."

Silence for a few moments. Not uncomfortable. I think we just enjoyed each other's company. Plus, I think I'd just shared something… personal. For once, at least.

"Ragnar?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're here with me."

"Me too. Wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Or with anyone else."

"You really mean that?" she asked quietly.

"Of course. You're wonderful, Serana. I'm glad you're in my life."

"Me too," she whispered, "Do you want to know the best day of my life?"

"Sure?"

"The day you opened the tomb."

That made me smile. We sat in silence for a minute or so before I felt her move even closer towards me, feeling her skin against mine. I opened my eyes again to see she was looking at me, her red eyes glowing compared to her pale skin and her dark hair slicked back as she'd clearly been underwater. She raised a hand to my cheek and moved my face to meet hers.

Then she kissed me.

To say I was surprised was an understatement. We'd already kissed a couple of times but on each of those occasions, I'd made the first move. For her to make the first move? It was unexpected, to say the least. And I responded immediately, turning towards her and wrapping an arm around her waist. I felt her hands run up my sides and my back and I just lost myself in the moment.

Then she giggled and I knew why as I was no doubt pressing against her. Come on, this was exactly what I was waiting for! I pulled back and our eyes met. She would have no doubt recognised the look in my eyes. Likely verging on animalistic. She simply licked her lips and the gaze in her eyes suggested she was nearly thinking the same thing. Our clothes were already off. All I needed to do was remove a couple of pieces of cloth and then… well, something would have happened which I'd longed to occur. I was of little doubt that she now felt the same way.

I took a couple of deep breaths to steady myself and my heart-rate. To be honest, the place was perfect. It was literally paradise. But… "We should…" I trailed off.

She kissed me again and it took all my self-control not to turn the situation completely physical in that moment. I now had her pressed against the side of the pool though was doing my level best not to crush her as she was still somewhat smaller than myself. Her hands still moved across my back. Even the feel of her nails across my back drove me wild.

"We should…" I started again. She nodded. "This really isn't…"

"I know," she stated breathlessly.

Then she placed two hands on my chest and gently pushed me back. I was disappointed, though only for a few seconds as, while keeping her eyes level with mine, she removed the cloth over her breasts. I know I swallowed as my gaze obviously moved down for a few seconds. She then stood up and removed the cloth covering her privates. Now naked, she simply smiled at me then reached out to grab my hand. Figuring I may as well join in, my loincloth disappeared as well.

She led me to a nearby patch of grass having gathered her robes. She lay those down on the ground before she lay down on her back, beckoning for me to join her. I wasn't going to say no, lowering myself down so I lay above her. She didn't say anything as we locked lips again. I was now… let's say very excited. But I would wait for her signal.

She broke the kiss and looked at me.

She whispered only one word. "Please."

She gasped as we were joined.

She smiled. It was a different one this time. One I hadn't seen before, understandably. I… can't quite explain it. Not just content. But… Well, you know what I mean.

She closed her eyes just for a moment, still smiling, before she opened her eyes, grabbed the back of my head and basically dragged me down to kiss her.

We didn't leave the glade until later the next day.

*****

I still hadn't said those three words. I know it's painfully obvious to everyone how I felt about her. And I think it's quite obvious she feels the same way about me. But neither of us had said the words. Maybe they didn't need to be said because it was so obvious. Maybe the act we had just shared spoke volumes and a trio of words were not required. I don't know, but we still hadn't actually said it. I'd say them one day. One day soon enough. Not 'when the time is right' or that sort of nonsense. Knowing me, I'd say it rather casually and then it can stop being a big deal.

As for that day and night, nothing would ever compare to it. I've had one or two 'my best day in Skyrim'. That day, night, next morning and lunchtime we spent in the glade? That was the best time I'd ever had. The feel of her skin against mine. Or against my palm. Her breath on my neck. The movement of her body underneath mine. We made love for hours, only resting in between once we were both spent, gossiping about nothing before we were ready to go again. I think we were getting everything out of our system having been so close and sharing an obvious mutual attraction for so long. Now, I can't read her mind, and I'm certainly no mind healer, but I think she needed that after everything she had shared. Even though I hadn't said anything, she knew I loved her. Cared for her. Wanted to keep her safe. Protect her with my life if necessary.

Apart from all the sex, the trip to the ancestor glade had been worthwhile in regards to finding the location of Auriel's Bow. Thanks to the instructions from Dexion, I completed the ritual and managed to read both Scrolls without blinding myself completely, though was still out of it for long enough to worry Serana.

"Where are we heading?"

"Somewhere called Darkfall Cave." I pulled the map out of my pack and marked the spot. "We should head back to Whiterun and prepare ourselves. No doubt this isn't going to be easy."

She agreed. We headed back into civilisation, or near enough to it, mounting our horses we'd tied up outside the entrance. Back in Whiterun by nightfall, we spent most of the evening packing supplies and gathering anything we thought we may need for a long expedition. Retiring for the night, I didn't know what to expect but, considering what happened at the glade, I didn't think I'd be going to bed alone.

At the top of the stairs, it was slightly awkward for about five seconds before I simply grabbed her hand and she followed without any resistance. Once under the furs, I simply kissed her softly, whispered 'Goodnight' and lay my head down. That didn't stop her from scooting close to me and wrapping one of my arms around her. I wasn't going to complain.

I lay there thinking 'Well, I think we're definitely in some sort of relationship now.'

I definitely went to sleep with a smile on my face.

Horses laden with supplies as I simply had no idea how long we would be gone, we departed early the next morning. If there was ever a signal of what might lay ahead, rain lashed down and the wind howled ferociously. There was the occasional deep rumble of thunder in the distance while lightning lit up the sky near and far. I made sure we were both wearing the thickest coats possible but knew we'd both end up soaked to the bone before we'd even travelled a couple of miles.

We tried to ride as fast as possible but the wind whipped rain into our faces and even I can admit that it bloody hurt. So we barely trotted along, keeping our faces covered from the wind and rain, huddling under all our furs in a vain attempt to stay warm and dry. But I knew within an hour we were both utterly miserable.

The map suggested there would be no direct route to Darkfall Cave by any main road, so knew we'd be going off the beaten track before long. As long as we avoided any bandit camps, or the remnants of the Forsworn, I figured we should make the cave by nightfall. If not, we had supplies for camping for at least one night. Thankfully the weather started to clear up after lunchtime and we increased the speed of our horses, at least for a time, before we finally did have to head off track.

We ended up spending the night in a small village called Karthwasten. We were quite a way south of the cave still so pulled out the map and started asking the locals for directions. They were incredibly helpful, and while none of them knew exactly where the cave was, they could point us in the general direction. It would require a little doubling back but then it was simply 'Follow the river, head west then north and you should be close to it.'

The instruction received, though basic, were followed to the letter. Leaving Karthwasten before dawn the next morning, the rain and thunderstorms had clear overnight, leaving a clear, crisp day as we wound our way along the riverbank. Consulting the map constantly, we found a crossing to the northern bank eventually, passing an open dragon mound along the way.

It took a little longer than anticipated to find the entrance to the cave, it being nestled into the side of a mountain range. The view when looking back from where we had travelled was spectacular, the cave nestled in the corner of a forested area, a thin blanket of snow on the ground and a thick covering of trees as far as the eye could see. We were still wrapped up in coats as the wind still retained its chill. I was surprised there was actually no-one waiting for us. Although only Serana and I knew where Darkfall Cave was, I'd taken enough contracts or missions over time to realise people always seem to discover information and therefore lie in wait for my arrival.

Dismounting our horses and tying them up as usual, we approached the cave entrance with caution.

"Dark," Serana muttered, "I'm tired of fumbling through the darkness."

"Do you really think the bow is simply in this cave?"

She shrugged. "Unlikely. What do you think?"

"I have a feeling this won't be easy."

"When is it ever easy?"

"Hmph. Point taken. Shall we?"

"Let's go."

The entrance may have been dark but we were both surprised to find torch scones alive with flame as we rounded a corner, following the passage deeper into the cavern. I kept my hand away from my sword for the time being, unsure if whoever had lit the scones were friendly or not. I had a feeling no-one else knew we had discovered this location, so assumed we may only find fellow adventurers. We passed a waterfall and a pool of water, dipping my hand to feel the temperature.

"Freezing," I muttered.

"Nothing like the steam pool?"

I smirked. "No. I wouldn't suggest disrobing for this pool."

"Would you stop me?"

A comment like that would have brought me to a halt, my jaw dropped wide in surprise. Now I just smiled at her. "If you want to disrobe, by all means. I'll just watch."

The look on her face suggested she considered it for a moment or two before she gestured ahead. Soon we found ourselves not completely alone in the cave as a pair of large spiders chose to attack us. We put those down with relative ease, finding the spider nest further ahead, evidence that previous explorers had met a grisly face as desiccated corpses were hung from the ceiling. We found another path and continued to descend, eventually attempting to cross a rickety old wooden bridge that I thought was about to collapse at any moment.

There was a snap, a crack and I had enough time to glance back at Serana before we both plummeted into the ice cold water below. Any hope we'd simply fall into a pool fell flat as we found ourselves swept away by the fast flowing current, barely able to keep my head above water as I was slammed into at least one or two boulders before we plummeted again, the current eventually subsiding and we found ourselves floating into another enormous cave.

"Well, that was fun," I muttered as my feet finally found purchase on the riverbed. I looked back to see Serana was feeling the cold as well, her teeth chattering away. "We can stop a moment and warm up. Sound good?"

She nodded and we splashed along the river until finding dry ground. Although the occasional spider proved no problem, we continued to shiver as we searched for an opportunity to warm ourselves. The passage we followed was covered in webs and we walked forward cautiously, continuing looking up in the event a spider or two were waiting to descend from a hidden hole. But we were lucky and after killing another trio, we remain undisturbed as we delved ever deeper into the cavern.

The path ascended for a time. At the top we found what we were looking for – a fire in the middle of a campsite. But the scene surrounding the fire was… ghastly. Blood covered the ground and the walls. A cursory check of the wounds suggested they had been unarmed and subsequently slaughtered by whatever killed them. I didn't even bother guessing as we carefully moved the bodies away from the fire, trying to be as respectful as possible before we finally sat by the fire, desperate for warmth.

"Why would anyone want to set up camp here?"

"War refugees? Though why would they come so deep into the cave and how did they avoid the spiders? Other than that, they didn't look like adventurers. I have no idea…"

"Okay, the question is what killed them?"

"This deep in a cave? Probably trolls."

"Hmmm. Good point."

"Fought plenty of them before. If they're normal trolls, we can handle them."

"Are there 'not normal trolls' out there?"

I just gave her a look and she laughed. Once we'd warmed up, we moved on and quickly stumbled upon a pair of trolls, more human remains suggesting they were the likely candidates responsible for the deaths at the camp site. We sized up to a troll each, Serana using a pair of daggers while I was armed as usual. I toyed with the troll, still angered by what we had found, and spent a few minutes dodging and weaving its large hands and claws while leaving a series of cuts on its body. I knew trolls were capable of curing their wounds quickly so I made sure each cut was deep enough to cause agony. Soon I well and truly had the upper hand, the troll slowing from the amount of blood loss. So focused I barely heard Serana dealing with her own troll, though I soon heard a comment suggesting I should hurry up. 'She must have killed her own.' A swivel and a swing of my sword left the troll on its back and I drove my sword into its chest, the troll roaring as it took its last few breaths.

"You enjoyed that," Serana stated as we moved on.

"It's been a few days since my last fight. Good to get back in the groove. Plus, they likely killed those people. Call it revenge on their behalf if you wish."

"Ugly creatures," she stated.

"Better off dead most of the time."

"Most of the time?"

"Yes. You know I'll live and let live if I believe they are worthy."

We continued to follow the passage, our way lit by torch scones, wondering who may have left them lit. Or perhaps it was simply magic that lighted our way forward. I didn't give it too much thought but wondered if anyone else had recently been this way. I didn't believe they would be searching for Auriel's Bow too. Or… Maybe they were for other reasons. Perhaps they were treasure hunters? Though how they'd figured out the bow may be in this very cave boggled my mind.

"Who's that ahead?" I wondered aloud as the passage widened, a river appeared from under the ground and strange architecture appeared around us.

"Is that… Is that…?"

The figure ahead turned towards us as we approached. He looked elven, that much was that obvious. But he looked unlike any elf I'd seen before. He gestured at both of us. "Come forward. You have nothing to fear here."

Realising I still had my sword to hand, I sheathed it and wandered forward to meet the elf, looking around the cavern where he appeared to make his home. I was left wondering what he was doing so deep in this cave.

"Who are you?"

He bowed. "I am Knight-Paladin Gelebor. Welcome to the Great Chantry of Auri-El."

I raised eyebrows at the name. "Auri-El? Who is Auriel?"

"Ah. He goes by many names. Auriel, Auri-El, Alkosh, Akatosh. So many different names for the sovereign of the Snow Elves."

"Snow Elves? But I thought you had been wiped out?" Serana wondered.

"And I thought the rest of you had all been turned into Falmer?" I added.

While he didn't glare at us, he did sigh in frustration. "I prefer Snow Elf, if you could be so kind. That is what I am and have always been. The name 'Falmer' usually holds a negative meaning to most travellers. Those twisted creatures you call Falmer, I call the Betrayed."

"I've never heard anyone call the Falmer that before," I stated, "Though I've heard from other people that your kind were turned into what they are now by another race."

"What do you know of my people?" he asked.

"Honestly, not a lot. You could certainly tell us the truth about what happened."

"We were once a wealthy and prosperous society that occupied a portion of Skyrim. Unfortunately, we were constantly at war with the Nords who claimed the land as their ancestral home."

"Ah…" While I wouldn't say I felt shame or responsibility of meeting a possible victim of those wars of conquest, I did feel a little bit awkward.

"The Nords merely killed us. Considering what happened to my people afterwards, being driven to extinction may have been the better outcome. At least we wouldn't be what we are now… However, we had always maintained an uneasy alliance with the underground-dwelling dwarves. What many may not know is that they were fellow mer – elves to you. When faced with the extinction of our entire race, as we could simply not match the Nords when it came to warfare, we turned to the Dwarves for help. Surprisingly, they agreed to protect us but demanded a terrible price." He sighed. "The blinding of our race. A near unbelievable demand, but one which had to be considered seriously."

"I can't believe everyone would have readily agreed to such a drastic decision," Serana stated.

"Of course. There were violent disagreements across the entire society of our civilisation. Many wanted to continue the war against the Nords, believing Auri-El would grant us victory. Others believed we should instead withdraw underground and war with the Dwarves for proposing such a terrible price of protection. Splinter groups were established across Skyrim that resisted the agreement, and even some that sought alternate alliances, in particular with our elven brethren in Alinor or Morrowind. But we found no help in others, so when it was all said and done, those elves were either slaughtered, vanished or gave up and took the Dwarves' bargain. In the end, we were left with little choice. What was better? To be blind or extinct?"

"Why or how are you still here?" I asked, "And how did you not turn into one of the Betrayed? I can safely say neither myself or my companion have ever met a Snow Elf."

"I certainly haven't. I have only read of your people," Serana added.

"This Chantry has always been isolated from the rest of our people and that isolation meant it took a long time for news to travel here. Having served as the Chantry's sentinel for thousands of years…"

"Hang on. Thousands of years? Just how old are you?"

He shrugged. "Old enough that years have meant nothing to me for a long time now. Let's just say I'm far older than your companion." His eyes turned to her. "I am aware of what you are."

"Will that be a problem?" she asked, concern in her tone.

"No. But I know why you are here and what you are here for. You see, this Chantry was once the epicentre of my people and our religion. Most of my people once worshipped Auri-El, much like the Nords worship Talos."

"The Thalmor forbid that," I muttered.

"They do? That is unfortunate. As to the reason I'm still here, knowing why you are here may lead to you helping me at the same time."

"What do you know we're here for?"

He chuckled. "There is only one reason why warriors such as yourself appear before me. You are here for Auriel's Bow. But perhaps you can do me a favour in return for my help in finding the bow for you?"

"We need the bow so if you can help us, I'm sure we can help you in return."

"Very good." He paused a beat. "I need you to kill Arch-Curate Vyrthur. My brother."

"Okay, simple enough request. I guess the only question I have is why?"

"The kinship between us is gone. I don't understand what he's become, but he's no longer the brother I once knew. It was the Betrayed. They did something to him, I just don't know why Auri-El would allow this to happen."

"Is he still alive?"

He nodded. "He's alive. I've seen him. But something's wrong. He never looks as though he's in pain or under duress. He just... stands there and watches, as though waiting for something or someone."

"What happened to your brother?" Serana asked, "What did the Betrayed actually do to him?"

"They swept into the Chantry without warning and began killing everyone without pause."

"Why would they do that?" I asked.

He scoffed. "You have met the Betrayed, have you not?"

"I have had my run ins with them."

"Then you will know that they do not need reason. The Chantry was a place of peaceful worship. I led a small group of paladins, but we were no match for the Betrayed's sheer numbers. They slaughtered everyone and stormed the Inner Sanctum where I believe they corrupted Vyrthur."

"So he's now one of the Betrayed?"

"No. He has not been changed. But there is something not right."

"Very well. How do we get into this… Inner Sanctum?"

"Via the Wayshrines. Come, I will show you."

We followed Gelebor to a nearby monument. He touched the top of the monument and there was a ringing sound. Not as bad as it sounds. It was actually quite peaceful. The monument then rose out of the ground, spinning around until it turned into a little… pavilion. It appeared empty except for a small ceremonial basin within.

Gelebor then explained what the Wayshrines were and what we would have to do to progress. Serana and I asked him a few more questions about what to expect before I asked what I thought was the most important one.

"Is the Chantry part of this cave system?"

"No. The Chantry encompasses far more than a few caves, as you'll soon discover."

He performed another magic ritual and the Wayshrine glowed. One of the walls of the pavilion appeared to turn into some sort of mirror, though what we could see was not a reflection of ourselves. With last words of instruction from Gelebor, Serana and I stepped through the portal.