A couple of the guards began to smile in greeting as I crossed the drawbridge, but I kept my head down and saw their expressions falter. Dismounting, I led the deer along the bank of the Darkwater River to the copse of trees behind nearby shops. The mist in the air thickened until it felt like a solid wall of moisture. Tension wound ever tighter. A storm was rolling in, and we could hear its disgruntled voice calling challenges. Meeko sensed this and huddled nervously near my legs.
"Maurice, I need to stop in town for a few minutes. Why don't you wait here. Browse the shops, if you like," I said, slipping a few septims into his palm. This was a discussion not meant for others' ears, especially not Maurice's.
"Very well," he huffed, "But if Kynareth strikes me down in the storm, I'll have your head."
"Just wait. Right. Here."
Moving quickly, I loped down the main street, the dog following so closely he seemed glued to my side. A few residents glanced at me while they worked, watched for a moment, then resumed their activities. When I spotted the mine, I froze, waiting for Derkeethus to emerge coated in a thin scrim of corundum dust, pickaxe slung over one shoulder, and his easy, Argonian grin directed my way. My breath caught and my heart thundered in my throat. Then I remembered he was gone, and my blood ran cold and turgid.
I heaved a sigh and felt a little of the chill leave me. In front of the mine sat the communal fire, ringed with hide tents and occupied by the reason I had stopped in Darkwater. Tormir lifted her hooded gaze to meet mine. A faint glimmer of surprise registered on her face before disappearing into a stolid glare.
"Gwaihen, so glad you've come to visit," she said coolly. For a moment, I stood confused.
"Tormir, there's something I need to warn you about," I began.
"No! I won't hear it! All you bring is doom with you!" she cried, staring wildly at me.
"What? I don't understand--"
"Hrollod is dead. All thanks to the promotion instigated by you. He was shot down at the border of High Rock, attempting to secure Jehenna from the Bretons. Had he not been promoted because of you, he would still be alive."
"How is that my fault?" I shot back, tired of being regarded as a harbinger of misfortune.
Tormir opened her mouth to argue, when a little girl emerged from a nearby tent, rubbing her eyes sleepily. Her hair was a rumpled mess and her skin seemed far too pale. "Mama, what's going on?" she asked in a voice that rang like terribly beautiful bells. It was hard not to suddenly adore her. However, when she peered out into the weak sunlight, her face transformed into something hideous as she grimaced.
"Nothing, Hrefna, go back to sleep," her mother soothed.
"But mama..."
"Yes?"
"I'm hungry."
"I'll get you a snack later. I'm speaking with our guest, who was just thinking of leaving," she added pointedly.
"But I'm hungry now," Hrefna whined, her eyes staring hypnotically at her mother, then me. It was then I noticed the bite marks on the woman's arms and neck--delicate points of bright red in various states of healing. Or how Tormir's eyes looked tired and defeated; how the shadows clutched at the skin of her face, making her gaunt. Seeing those marks only solidified the need to relay my message.
"Not now, Hrefna," Tormir snapped, breaking the spell on me. I was standing so close to the fire, I had almost stepped into the blaze. Taking several paces back, I fixed the Nord woman with a stare.
"You have to go into hiding. Either today or tomorrow. The Dawnguard are hunting vampires left and right, and if you don't do something, they'll take Hrefna or worse."
"What of it. No one knows of her."
"They tracked me down, and I'm not even one of the girl's kind!"
"Good. About time you got your just desserts."
"Tormir, this is serious! If you don't hide yourself and the girl, they'll find her, drag her out into the sun, and reduce her to ash while you watch!" I shouted, frustrated that no matter how hard I tried, those who had joined me continued to perish. The neighbors looked up from their field and scowled at us, shaking their heads. I wondered if they knew what Hrefna was, or if the girl already had the entire town under her sway.
"Enough, Gwaihen. I've had enough of your meddling with my family," she spat coldly.
"Please, listen to me!"
"No! Enough!" She stood with her fists curled into tight balls, blonde hair flying wildly from under her hat. "Just go. Leave my family alone."
Frowning, I acquiesced and left the small family. My feet trudged up the lane. I was at a loss for how I could protect Hrefna from the Dawnguard. If only there was a cure, I thought. A cure... Of course! If anyone would know about curing vampirism, it would be the very people who hunted them. Surely, there was someone level-headed and wise among their number. This was truly our path, then. And since this followed Hrefna, it must lead back to Derkeethus. Everything was connected, after all, and coming here must have been some kind of sign.
Resolution in mind, I headed back to Maurice, who I found gloomily picking at the dirt, muttering to himself. "Let's go," I said softly. He jumped and yelped in surprise.
"My word, I thought you were going to slit my throat!" he cried, his fingers lingering on his neck.
"For the last time, I'm not going to kill you," I sighed.
"Well, at least we're headed to the sanctuary, now. I'll finally be able to gaze upon the unspoiled beauty of Kynareth."
We left Darkwater Crossing behind and walked out across the flats. Steam rose from vents, heating the air until we sweated profusely and no amount of clothing removal cooled us. When we reached the velvety shade of a tree grove, we rejoiced as the heat turned a little more bearable. I dismounted from the deer and lounged in the shadows for a few minutes.
"Where is this sanctuary, exactly?" I asked.
"It should be somewhere around here. I can feel Lady Kynareth's presence even stronger in these trees. Can't you feel it?" Maurice replied, speaking excitedly. In the dreary web of my thoughts, I spun my way deeper into my personal darkness, yet I agreed with Maurice. Something was lighter here. Sometimes, when the trees rustled in just the right way, I thought I heard Bosmeri whispering. I was fairly certain Kynareth didn't speak Bosmeri, though.
Suddenly, lightning flashed through the sky and Meeko howled in terror, galloping away towards a rock face. The deer screamed a haunting, flute-like cry, following the dog. I, too, ran after them, trying to get the creatures under control. When I caught up with the pair, they were staring down into a hole from which the faint gurgling of water could be heard.
"This must be it. The sanctuary," Maurice said in awe. Behind me, the deer nudged my back, so I turned to face the creature. It looked at me sagely, though it didn't speak to me as I was expecting it to. Instead, it looked towards the cave pointedly, then back at me. Another hooting cry came from it when I turned and walked toward the darkness. I spared a glance me behind me, but a bolt of lightning struck a tree and the flash sent brilliant purple afterimages floating before my eyes. Meeko and Maurice ran into the cavern, the latter covering his head for fear his hair might catch fire.
When I finally recovered my eyesight, the deer disappeared, and I knew the pilgrimage did not end here. No, here it was my pilgrimage truly began.
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