CHAPTER 111: AURIEL’S BOW
Wyldfyre blinked. The bright sunlight startled her; as did the scents that assaulted her nostrils. She smelt another Werewolf, an Elf, a Vampire and...two Dragons? This was not the Hunting Grounds.
“I’m not dead” she said as her vision cleared and she saw the owners of the scents, all peering down at her.
“Well, that is debatable” Samuel half smiled, half frowned. He glanced to Serana.
“What?” Wyldfyre asked then, worried. Her body felt numb. She could have sworn that she had plummeted to the ice below, broken every bone in her body and then drowned in the lake.
“Not dead” one of the dragons said helpfully. Wyldfyre peered more closely at Serana. Her eyes glowed wildly and her mouth and chin was covered in blood, which had dripped down the front of her armour. Samuel also had a mixed look of awe and fright on his face. Now she was more curious than worried.
“Alright. Can someone tell me what happened? Why am I not at the bottom of the lake?”
“Well” Serana started “I saw you go over the balcony, but I couldn’t save you. I..was occupied with the Elf and when I saw what he did to you I..lost it”
“A fitting end for my Brother” Wyldfyre swung her head around and saw Gelebor standing next to Samuel. He smiled sadly at her.
“It still doesn’t explain how I am still alive, and back up here on the balcony I am assuming?”
“I recovered your body from the lake” the smallest of the dragons said.
“You broke our ice” the other stated rather sternly. It puffed warm air at her.
“I’m sorry” she apologised. “I didn’t mean to plummet to my death into your lake”
“I brought you back” the smaller dragon then said excitedly “With the Old One” Now Wyldfyre was really confused. She looked at Serana and raised a questioning eyebrow.
“I healed you, but it wasn’t enough. The dragon and I combined...our blood, to bring you back.”
“So I was dead?”
“Close to it” Samuel said. Wyldfyre sat up, her head swimming slightly. Her body thrummed all over. She felt far from broken. She felt invigorated. She looked over the ruins of the balcony and saw the body of Gelebor’s brother laying in a crumpled heap, a large pool of blood spreading out from his neck. Then she realised what Serana had said.
“Wait... you used your blood?”
“And mine!” said the dragon. It pawed at the balcony railing restlessly. Bits of it crumbled under the dragon’s claws.
“I’m sorry, but I was distraught.” Serana tried to defend her actions “I thought you were dying. I did what I thought necessary to bring you back. We gave you my blood and the dragon’s blood. It did the trick.”
“I’m not a vampire” Wyldfyre stated. Indeed she did not detect any vampire urges inside her. It seemed her Were/Dragon mix had once again stopped any changes to her. She still wasn’t sure how she survived the fall however, and voice that question. It was the larger of the dragons who answered.
“Your soft human body froze when it broke our ice and entered our lake. The cold preserved you until you were recovered and brought here.”
“Alright” Wyldfyre nodded. There were many questions swirling through her head but she felt that only Paarthurnax could answer them. Instead, she stood as the others gave her room. Samuel shook his head, his eyes filled with awe.
“I would never have believed it if I hadn’t of seen it with my own eyes. You are immortal Wyldfyre”
“Pfft!” Wyldfyre snorted “I am no God, Samuel. Just lucky” But Samuel was not convinced. The dragons watched with curiosity as the four humans briefly examined the body of Gelebor’s fallen brother, then made their way down into the court yard. A shrine, that wasn’t there before, now stood in the middle of the yard.
“And now, as promised” Gelebor said, inviting them to enter the shrine. In the centre of the shrine, floating mystically over the pedestal was a stunningly beautiful bow. It shone with an ethereal glow. Wyldfyre sighed. Finally, it was theirs.
“You take it” Wyldfyre said to Serana. The vampire stepped forward and plucked the bow from mid air. She examined it closely.
“It kind of..vibrates”
“It is the power of Auri-El Himself” Gelebor said with reverence.
“Err.. this may be a silly question” Samuel stepped forward “But what do we do with it now?”
“That, is entirely your choice” Gelebor said and turned to Wyldfyre “You risked everything to get Auri-El's Bow, and in turn, you've restored the Chantry. I can't think of a more deserving champion to carry it than you. If you wish to learn more about the bow, or obtain Sunhallowed Arrows for it, I'd be more than happy to help. You've but to ask”
“Sunhallowed Arrows?”
“The bow has the power to control the sun. Shooting a Sunhallowed Elven Arrow from Auriel's Bow at the sun will cause it to undergo an explosion, causing beams of harmful sunlight to rain down on all enemies.”
“If it has that affect on the sun then why is my father after it?” Serana asked. Gelebor’s face darkened.
“Shooting a Bloodcursed Elven Arrow from Auriel's Bow at the sun will cause an explosion of darkness to form around it. This creates a false-night. When night becomes day in which a vampire is unaffected by the daylight.”
“How long does it last for?” Wyldfyre asked then, her blood running cold.
“If you have enough blood, indefinitely” The Snow Elf answered sombrely.
“Serana” Wyldfyre turned to her friend.
“I know” the vampire said, her face growing red with rage “My father intends to keep me chained to a wall somewhere so he can leech off me. Vampires walking around in the day time? It will mean the end of humanity as we know it”
“I’m starting to wonder if retrieving this bow was such a good idea” Samuel said.
“We can’t let it fall into their hands. The bow and Serana must be protected.” Wyldfyre said then. Serana recovered, squared her shoulders and looked at them all.
“No, my father needs to be stopped. I will not run and hide. I’ve been hidden away for far too long. I will destroy him!” She shook the bow. “Gelebor, can you show us how to make these Sunhallowed Arrows?” Gelebor inclined his head and produced a quiver of Elven arrows from thin air. He handed the quiver to Wyldfyre and then took out all of the arrows, laying them out on the ground. He bowed his head and muttered a few words, Wyldfyre assumed, to his God. The arrows briefly glowed then lay there. Gelebor scooped them up and placed them back in the quiver.
“I have made these few for you, but if you need any more you have but to ask.”
“Thank you Gelebor” said Wyldfyre as she shouldered the bow and quiver. “What will you do now?”
“You have given me a chance to restore the Chantry to the way it was. My Brother being a vampire was not what I was expecting, but in a way, I am glad.”
“How so?”
“It means that the Betrayed weren’t to blame for what happened here. It means that there is still hope that they might one day shed their hatred and learn to believe in Auri-El once again.”
“You seem to be full of hope Gelebor” Serana said.
“Indeed” the Elf nodded, even producing a small smile “It has been a long time since I felt this way. I am forever thankful to you all.”
“You’re welcome Gelebor” Wyldfyre said.
*****
Gelebor proved to be a gracious host. Of course the Chantry was very lacking in provisions, of which the Snow Elf said he would rectify. They stayed the night, regaining their strength and set off early the next morning. The dragons flew them over the vale to the mountain on the other side, setting them down just above the tree line.
“We can not go any further” The largest dragon said. “Our bond to the vale is too great to stray any further from it”
“That’s fine.” Wyldfyre reassured them. “It’s more than we could have hoped for, really” They bid farewell to the dragons; the smallest one giving Samuel an extra fond nudge, which nearly sent him sprawling into the snow. After the dragons disappeared over the mountain, Wyldfyre turned to the others. She had Auriel’s Bow strapped to her back, wrapped in furs to disguise it. Samuel bore her crossbow. They were very close to Castle Volkihar. A day and a half travel at best. They needed to make a decision. To assault the castle on their own and risk being defeated and the bow and Serana delivered into Harkon’s hands, or, to return to the Dawnguard and ask for their help and risk Samuel to Isran’s wrath. It was Samuel who came up with a plan.
“So it’s decided. We go to the Dawnguard. Isran will no doubt want to know how it is that I am no longer a vampire. We tell him the story that I was cured in the Forgotten Vale.”
“And if he is suspicious we tell him that the device used to cure you was destroyed in the battle with the Betrayed.” They had made a collective decision not to tell anyone about the existence of the Snow Elf Gelebor, blaming the Falmar instead. They also swore to never reveal the location of the Forgotten Vale itself. They all felt that it was a place that needed to be preserved and protected from man and his destructive nature.
It was a longer journey to return to the Dawnguard. But they figured as long as they had Serana and the Bow safe, then the Vampires quest would be at a standstill. They travelled by day, Serana needing to protect herself from the full force of the sun. She could withstand quite a lot, being an Old One. But too much exposure did make her uncomfortable and drained her energy much quicker. They decided to stay in populated places at night, thinking that Vampires would be less reluctant to attack a city with guards and equally armed citizens. They learnt from tavern owners some distressing news however.
There had been a number of vampire attacks on smaller settlements. They attacked in the midnight hours when only the night’s watch or whores were walking the streets. Wyldfyre was worried. They weren’t just killing the citizens. They were taking them. To be either cattle or newly blooded vampires. The situation was growing worse by the day. Wyldfyre and the others decided that all haste was necessary and so they travelled day and night to get back to Fort Dawnguard.
They were challenged at the gates of the palisade that surrounded the fort. Wyldfyre had to convince the guards, who didn’t know her, that she was the Harbinger of the Companions and that her two companions were under her protection. Even so, they were escorted into the fort by a squad of armed men. Wyldfyre noticed a lot of activity. Men packing weapons, checking armour, packing provisions.
“Looks like the whole fort is about to go mobile” Samuel muttered.
“Indeed. It appears we arrived just in time” Wyldfyre nodded. They were taken up a floor and straight to Isran’s rooms. When the men announced their arrival Isran’s eyes flew to the group. He drew his weapon and lunged at Samuel. Wyldfyre however was ready and grabbed Samuel and Serana and shouted.
“FEIM!” instantly all three became nothing but spectral beings, unable to be harmed. Isran staggered right through them, and the other guards shouted in alarm.
“Isran!” Wyldfyre said sternly “Stay your hand! Samuel is no longer the enemy you think” Isran turned and tried to stab at Samuel again but his sword passed through the young man harmlessly.
“What is this magic?” he sneered. “And why do you bring that thing back here, after you helped it escape in the first place?”
“Isran. Samuel is no longer a vampire. He has been cured. AND we bring the only weapon that can defeat the vampire menace once and for all!” Her shout wore off and they became solid once again. Wyldfyre had her hand on her sword hilt, waiting to act if necessary. But Isran surprised her. He sheathed his sword and stood calmly.
“I’m listening” he said slowly.
*****
Isran certainly was suspicious. He asked many times as to the nature of the “device” that had cured Samuel. Why wasn’t the device used on Serana as well? Where is the Forgotten Vale located? How did they escape the Falmer? Wyldfyre and the others kept their answers as vague as possible, until she eventually grew annoyed and told Isran that they would answer no more questions. She may have used a little bit of her Dragon Aspect shout to drive the point home. After that, Isran was all business again and he filled them in on the Dawnguard’s plans to finally assault Castle Volkihar. He was sceptical about the power of Auriel’s Bow. Wyldfyre had to admit she was as well. She had not seen it in use and was concerned that they were putting all their hopes on it.
She had to admit, later to Samuel and Serana, that Isran’s plan was both foolhardy and brilliant. They were going to attack the castle, just on dawn with the full force of the Guard. Every single member would be engaged in the battle. One of Isran’s men, a brute of a Nord called Gunmar, had even managed to train trolls and armour them as well. Wyldfyre wrinkled her nose at them as Gunmar showed her his little band of brutish soldiers. They looked at her with their three beady eyes, saliva dripping from their fangs.
Soon all preparations were made and the whole castle emptied. They broke off into small groups, making their way to the castle by different routes so as not to raise any suspicion. Wyldfyre and the others travelled with Isran and his small elite group of guards. They lead a cracking pace across the province and were among the first to arrive at the rendezvous point, which was the old abandoned fort on the mainland, near the jetty that would take them over to the island on which the castle sat.
Then came the laborious task of ferrying the soldiers over to the island. Some of the groups had come by way of the sea and so had brought more boats with them, but it still took the better part of the day to do it. The trolls, given how heavy they were with their steal plated armour, had to be ferried across one at a time. And that was only after Gunmar convinced them to even step into the small vessels in the first place. Trolls, it appeared, were not the sea faring type.
Wyldfyre and the others were the first to set foot on the island. They scouted the area, finding no signs of life outside the castle. Serana grew restless as the day drew on, and so the three of them took up a lookout position in a small tower while the army was ferried across. They sat in a small circle, not daring to light a fire to warm themselves, and finding it not totally necessary anyway.
“Did you see the strange looks we were getting from the soldiers?” Samuel asked. Serana nodded. Wyldfyre had noticed it as well. She figured it was due to the three of them being outsiders.
“I did. But didn’t think much on it.”
“Well I know why they look at me weird. I was a vampire and now I’m not. Serana, you are one, that is a good reason for them to be wary. But you Wyldfyre... I think they are scared of you” Again Wyldfyre snorted in amusement.
“Afraid of me? I find that hard to believe Samuel.”
“I know it to be true!” he protested. “You can see it in their eyes when you walk by. They stop what they are doing. Their eyes are full of fear and respect, and awe”. But Wyldfyre merely laughed.
“Plus” Samuel continued “I’ve heard them talking. When they thought I couldn’t hear them. They think you are akin to a God or something. They have heard the stories, about how you defeated Alduin and Miraak”
“Samuel” Wyldfyre warned, but he was adamant and continued.
“And I may or may not have told them about your little fall in the Forgotten Vale..”
“Samuel! Why would you do that?” Wyldfyre scolded.
“I’m sorry. But some of them were questioning your integrity and I had to....”
“Never mind” Wyldfyre held up a hand. “It’s done” she sighed. She had been wondering why the soldiers had been treating her different. Now she knew.
“That fall would have killed anyone else” he said sullenly, pouting like a child that had just been reprimanded by an adult. Wyldfyre turned to him, her green eyes clear and blazing.
“I would have had it not of been for Serana and the dragon. I am not a God Samuel. Just..slightly different. I’m not anything special. You need to stop thinking I am, because I’m just not”
“Many would beg to differ” Serana added in.
“Not you to?” Wyldfyre groaned. “Just..leave it will you? That’s the end of it.”
“Of course, Harbinger” Samuel inclined his head reverently. Wyldfyre glared at him then turned her attention to the bow. She unwrapped it from its swaddle of furs and ran her fingers over the intricate carvings.
“I just hope this works, otherwise this is going to be all for nothing.”
“It will” Serana nodded, taking Wyldfyre’s hand in hers. “I know it will”
“It’s going to be an epic battle either way. Samuel and I can’t change forms, nor do I think it wise for you to change into your other self Serana”
“Not unless I want to be be-headed by your fidgety Dawnguard friend.”
“Huh.. Isran is NO friend of mine” Wyldfyre frowned. How right she was about that, was soon to be revealed.