Skyrim: Fall of the Dawn

10. Memory of Fire

"M'lady! The court members are protesting again. They seek out your word."

A tall, dark elf entered the room in the castle Volkihar. The room that belongs to the Lord.

Red-haired woman sighed as she drank a last drop of vampiric wine. Or betterly said, human blood.

She held her legs on the table. They were skinny and pale as snow. Perhaps even paler than it. She lowered them on the ground, letting her black leather dress cover them.

"Lopt, what did I say about knocking?"

She asked in cold yet seductive tone. The vampire was older then her and he smirked and shivered at the same time behind her back, carefully so she doesn't notice that.

"My most sincere apologies, m'lady, but this is urgent."

She sighed once more. Now she turned on her heel to face him. Her figure was so slender, like a column.

"Fine. Take me there to see what they want."

She ordered and followed Lopt. She soon found herself on the balcony where she would often spoke to her servants and other nobles. She would never let them think they are equal to her.

The elderly vampire spoke first. That was a really short black-haired woman. Her face was sharp and hard as stone. And she looked like a bat.

"Your highness! Dawnguard are in front of our doors and you are not giving any orders! I can feel some of us are getting quite impatient and dissatisfied with your decisions."

The elderly vampire went quited, but the rest of the vampires in the room have liven up. Murmur spread all over the big hall.

The red-haired vampire rasied her hand and made a slight, elegant movement signing them to be quiet. Everyone obeyed, no matter how much they didn't want to be under her command.

"Thank you, Asturae, for being spokeswoman for the weaker ones. You've shown a great courage. While the others only showed how weak they are. So I ask you this: How are you expecting me to send such weak vampires in the fight? How can I trust those cowards won't flee the battlefield and betray me and everyone in this castle?"

Surprisingly, murmur didn't spread this time. Everything was quiet. Only wind blowing through old windows could be heard. And quiet fire cracking.

"M'lady, if you don't send us on battlefield, you will never find out who you can trust."

A younger male vampire spoke. Red-haired woman slightly frowned when she looked at him. He was tall and slender. His shoulder-length hair was almost white. And he always had that smirk that she hated.

"Clay, I order you, Asturae and Hvedrung to go and bring me the report of Dawnguard situation. When you bring me every bit of information you found, I am going to give orders. Now go."

♢♢♢

Alesan was just finishing with carring bags of flour when No'El interrupted him. He immediatley lowered the heavy bag.

"That's it for today."

Khajiit simply said. Alesan was surprised to hear that. No'El's training always lasted longer than trainings of the others and today they were finished at noon.

"And how's that?"

Alesan asked. No'El looked at him and raised his eyebrow. Suddenly, he got up and grabbed Alesan by his arm, firmly. He pulled his ear toward his mouth and whispered.