My promise that Viconia and I would soon be leaving the Lodge and County Leyawiin was soon fulfilled. Four days after receiving our knighthoods, a messenger arrived after being directed to the lodge from the Fighters Guild in the City. Azzan, and the Anvil Guild had sent out word for us, asking for us to return to the port city to help. Unrest had been building throughout the Empire but with the daedric assault on the city and the desecration of the Cathedral of Dibella, Anvil was groaning under the strain. We had heard reports that in the month since the attack by the daedra, armed gangs were now prowling the countryside, attacking travellers and caravans, raiding farms and the handful of villages within the county. Anvil had been attacked from within and without, and the neighbouring county had been almost utterly destroyed. Over a week's worth of travel between Skingrad and Anvil was now a bandit infested wasteland of death and fire, but surprisingly Anvil was now playing host to larger than normal numbers of travellers.

  The site of one of the few victories against the daedra had drawn in many of those seeking protection in the growing darkness, the numbers growing every day. What seemed surprising was the way that large numbers of pilgrims and travellers were converging onto the city because of the desecration of the Cathedral. From all corners of the Empire, hundreds of people were making their way there in a pilgrimage of the faith, braving the unrest of the roads and the threat of Oblivion to receive and give their blessings. Doomsayers and prophets were also converging onto the city and this as well as the increased banditry was ensuring that the local Guilds, militia and Legion was hard pressed keeping the peace. Into this boiling cauldron we had been asked to return, as not only our sword arms but our mere presences as the City's champions would go a long way towards assisting the County.

  Sir Ramauld and the others bid us farewell, Alexi promising further rematches whenever we returned to Leyawiin. Alexi and I were travelling quickly down the road to becoming friends. His indefatigable optimism, sense of humour and companionship during those first few days ensuring that when Viconia and I mounted our new warhorses and made our way out the gates that there was the sense of loss that I couldn't shake.

  Once onto the open road we made our way swiftly on our new steeds, their enormous bulks and power ensuring that the distances that we travelled on hired packhorses were crossed in fractions of the time. Trygvr may have been stubborn and still trying to gain a measure of me but there were few horses in the Empire like him. On the open road Viconia and I found ourselves riding hard and letting both steeds have their heads. The pounding of their hooves echoed around us like a bow wave of a ship, and travellers moved out of the way at the sight of such enormous horses galloping along as though exhaustion was something lesser creatures suffered. After steady gains of distance for the first days of riding all of us, riders and horses alike settled into a rhythm that steadily ate through the kilometres and even left Bravil fading in the distance behind us.

  A week after leaving Leyawiin we found ourselves at the border where County Bravil met County Glenvar, feeling the deepening chill in the air as marshlands and mangroves gave way to forests of pines and ferns. Snow may not have been too uncommon now the grip of winter held firm to the land, but other than the deep frosts that covered the ground in the morning there was nothing during the day.

  Wrapped in our cloaks and wearing every scrap of our clothing the winter's chill did little against us, but we were uncomfortably reminded of the fact that in the days previous we were sweating wearing very little at all. It wouldn't take much for either of us to catch illnesses in the sudden change in climate and as we began setting camp for the evening I ensured that before I did anything else the campfire was blazing.

  "Another day, another mile." Viconia muttered as she dragged across a collection of saddlebags from our enormous steeds.

  "I believe that it might have been a few more than just a single mile today." I replied, feeling the warmth of the fire begin to grow ever more fiercely.

  The pile of saddlebags grew and Viconia placed herself down onto the cold ground with her back against her saddle. Mine had been placed nearby and while she seemed content on using hers as a pillow I still preferred my pack or rolled up cloak than the solid leather. Humming to herself she began rummaging through some of the pouches, pulling out a small collection of dried fruits that she had grown into a habit of eating.

  "Can you pass me a dagger mrimmd'ssinss?" I asked, dragging over the pair of young rabbits that I had managed to shoot earlier in the day.

  Glancing up, she looked between me, the campfire and the small furred bodies sitting in front of me. Shrugging, she returned to the pouches, opening a couple before stopping in mid motion and becoming tense.

  "Vith!" She spat, suddenly rummaging through my saddlebags and pack with a sudden tense energy. "Vel'klar l'vith ph'nind?"

  "What's wrong?"

  She turned and glared at me. "We've been robbed. That's what's wrong."

  Crushing my unease, I shook my head. "No we haven't."

  "How can you say that?" gesturing to my saddlebags I could feel the burning anger infusing her limbs with a dangerous energy. "It's your gems that are missing."

  "Not all of them." The gaze of anger focussed on me and I struggled not to quail at the gleaming darkness that dwelled behind her yellow eyes. "Only a handful, and they weren't stolen."

  "Then where are they? I can't see anything new in our equipment that could be worth such an enormous amount and unless you have a necklace or some rings hidden in your pockets I'd say that it wasn't worth it."

  Breathing heavily, I struggled to remain calm as her gaze burned into my soul. "I gave some of the gems away."

  "You did what?" The threat in the hissed words was evident and I couldn't help but glance up at her.

  "You remember the guard that I had fed on in Leyawiin?"

  There was a moment of silence and I could feel her rage suddenly reached boiling point, her lips drawing back into a snarl that could match a daedroth's in intensity.

  "Dos k'leril yeunn sjaad'ur d'natha nest!" she spat, ripping the dagger from where it had been sitting and hurling in my direction with such force that the blade sunk to the hilt in the soil between my legs. Despite her anger there was nothing wrong with her accuracy, as there was only a hand's span between me and my future as a eunuch. "So I don't satisfy you enough so you have to pay a ssins d'aerth for an additional pound of flesh?"

  "I didn't have sex with her," The knife's scabbard smacked me in the face and was followed by a full waterskin that bounced off a shoulder. "I only fed on her."

  Pausing in mid throw with a fist filled with a whetstone she stared at me, silently studying my face for any sign of falsehood. After a moment the fire in her eyes dimmed slightly. "And that bandit in Anvil County? Did you 'only' feed on her too?"

  I looked down and away from her, the guilt hammering into my mind and I could feel the writhing bones of my skull tingling and shifting slightly under my skin with every wave of emotion. She could see the slight changes that coursed through me but there was no fear, only anger that burned ferociously.

  "That... That was different."

  "Because you claimed the flesh of a defeated and broken enemy? You imposed your will on her as you did with that elg'caress back in Leyawiin."

  "I imposed my will on her yes, but not the same way as I did with the guard."

  "Rape is rape no matter how you try to identify it."

  "As a vampire I can control other people."

  The silence dragged on for several minutes and Viconia continued to stare at me. "What?"

  Gesturing emptily with my hands I struggle to find the words. "When I change or if I really concentrate I somehow control others. I can stare into their eyes and I can feel their mind and exert some measure of control over them. When I do it to feed I can make them not only accept it but want it, and sometimes like that fat bastard at the stocks I can make it easier for them to do my bidding."

  Viconia sat in silence, staring, watching and deep in thought. "You sound like a mind flayer."

  "An illithid? From what little you have told of me I guess there is a resemblance. I don't know how to describe it otherwise."

  She chewed on her lip carefully, hunching down and sitting cross legged as she wrapped her cloak tightening around herself with the growing chill of the evening. "How often have you used this ability?"

  "Several times over the past months. The first time was on the journey from Cheydinhal."

  "Have you ever tried to use it on me?"

  I shook my head. "Never even considered it."

  "Good. While I doubt that you would find it as easy with me I would hate to have to feed you our own kidneys." Part of the anger had diminished in her eyes but there was still a significant amount roiling behind them. "So why did you do it?"

  "Which part?"

  "All of it." her own dagger had found itself in her hand and she gestured with it at my heart. "The bandit, the guard, the gems. All of it."

  "With the bandit I lost full control over the vampire. She had hurt me with her spells and some instinct in me decided to return to favour. With the guard, it has always seemed easier to feed on someone when they are compliant and I'm not wanting to leave a trail of bloodless corpses in our wake. For both of our sakes if I killed everywhere we went not only will it make it too obvious and I don't really want to needlessly kill."

  "And the gems?"

  Shrugging, I looked down at the tiny furred forms of the rabbits in my lap, drawing to dagger from its earthen embrace and wiping the blade on the fabric of my trousers. "I felt guilty and I needed to repent in some way."

  Viconia snorted and slid her own dagger back into its sheath. "Oh spare me your incessant drivel and self-righteousness." The scowl that she had habitually worn slid over her features with well-practiced ease. "I doubt I have ever encountered a being who is so torn between their nature and the pathetic laws of the surface. We do what we need to do to survive, and if that means that you satisfy your desire for flesh at the same time as your desire for blood than do it. All this self-pity is merely infuriating."

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  "It's the only thing that's keeping me human." I replied. "Or sane. If all this self-pity infuriates you then why did you stay with me all this time?"

  She paused at that, the scowl giving hints of a crease of a smile. "Because you intrigued me."

  "Is that it?"

  There was a nod that shook loose some strands of hair and she ran her fingers through them and tucked them back under the headband. "If I'm truly honest I intended cutting your throat and leaving your carcass to the wolves those first few nights after leaving Bruma, but your antics with trying to brand yourself made me curious."

  "I had expected several times to wake up dead."

  "Good." The smile broke through the shadow of the scowl. "It shows that you have some sense and wisdom in that surfacer skull of yours. But that night when you let me scar you and hide the Legion brand showed to me that you had surprising strength of will under that dull exterior. The fact that you would willingly do something of such extremes without hesitation showed to me that you may have had more use than showing me to the nearest city that wasn't Bruma."

  "Good to know I guess."

  The snort from her made me smile and before either of us realised we were both grinning at each other. "These past months I have seen you go out of your way to help others and as much as I hate your reasons I can somehow understand them. All your notions of chivalry and honour and whatever else you so fondly believe in is completely at odds to what you are. That will kill you in the end."

  "With what I am?"

  "You are a vampire wael." Rolling her eyes, she watched as I begun to skin and gut the rabbits in an attempt to take my mind off everything. "You need to drink blood to survive which means that unless you value the alternative and take your own life you will need to hurt others and take from them what you need. In this world or in my previous one, we all need to take and take and take if we are to survive."

  "I know you don't have any qualms with doing so, but I was never brought up like that."

  "It doesn't matter how you were brought up or what you used to believe. You are what you are now and sooner or later you will have to come to terms with that."

  Throwing the rabbits onto the crackling flames I watched as a small storm of embers and sparks rise up into the darkening sky as the sun dipped below the horizon. "No wonder you sleep so well of a night with no concerns of morality."

  "Er'griff l'gareth dro'xun." She replied, watching as I rolled the words over my tongue in an attempt to translate what little I knew of her tongue. "Only the strong survive. You are strong; ridiculously so, but until you come to terms with what you are you will continue to be weakened."

  "You have never seen me lose control though Viconia. It isn't pleasant."

  "I heard enough of the carnage that you left those caverns in, and have seen you in battle before. There is no denying your efficacy, but back to what I asked earlier; what did you do with those handful of gems?"

  "One of the nights we stayed at the Stallion lodge I snuck out and went to the guard's home in the city. Brodas had given me her address after the healers had finished with her and I left the purse of gems on her table."

  There was a long, drawn out sigh from Viconia and she glared at me. "Next time you think of doing something so monumentally idiotic I will rip your tongue and balls out. Just don't give away a quarter of our fortune next time."

  "It was only a tenth. We still have more than enough."

  "Not if you keep giving it out to every harlot and beggar on the surface there isn't."

  "I'll keep that in mind." Carefully, I used the tip of Sunchild to turn over the rabbits in the coals and watched as the fat dribbled and spat in the flames.

  "You have a darkness in you that is worthy of the Underdark."

  "I'm not sure if that's a compliment or not Viconia."

  White teeth flashed in the darkness. "You'd do anything to survive, except for maybe betraying someone close to you. In that regards I am certainly thankful at least."

  "We've survived a lot these past months."

  "With much more to follow. It is the end of the world we're facing after all."

  I grimaced. "At least we're not doing it alone."

  "Do you mean that as having each other? Or being Blades, guildsmen and Knights?"

  "All of the above?" I laughed, standing up briefly to drag over my saddlebags. "I know why you chose to receive a knighthood."

  "Oh?" amusement entered her voice and a shapely eyebrow raised. "Why is that?"

  I raised my left hand, palm facing me and showing the signet ring of the Knights of the White Stallion while gesturing to the saddles, horses, spare swords and the various other trinkets we had received from the Order. "All the free stuff."

  The laugh was honest and musical and for a moment there was no hint of the rage that had consumed her earlier. "There was that and the 'moving up in the world' side of becoming Madame DeVir. I was not expecting to be considered royalty on the surface during these past months here."

  "Nobility you mean."

  "I don't know about you but I think I could easy find myself married to a Count or King in this land."

  "And if I know you in the slightest they would suffer an untimely, possibly 'accidental' death."

  My sarcasm left her smile on her face but I knew all too well that there was truth in my words with the expression she tried to hide. "You know me all too well, mrannd'ssinss."

  Both of us laughed again, and while there was still a tension between us she moved over closer as I continued preparing our meals. The shadows had begun consuming the world around us and despite the growing lateness of the hour there was still some movement and travellers on the road as they sought out accommodation or simply chose to press on through the night. Viconia and I fell silent in our conversation as we began eating our meals but it wasn't long before we were interrupted by the sounds of a considerable number of people approaching from the west.

  Poorly greased axles ground together, the echoes rippling through the forests now that the relative silence of the evening began to cling to the land. The sounds of voices could be heard as a bubbling wave of noise that grew as the group approached, and Viconia and I found ourselves staring at over a dozen flatbed wagons crammed full of people. Each wagon contained several people each, and those who couldn't ride walked alongside. Every single one of them carried what appeared to be all of their worldly possessions, trudging through the kilometres and appearing incredibly bone tired and road weary. Children cried and babbled amongst themselves, adults muttered softly but all of them wore expressions of sorrow and suffering that Viconia and I had seen far too often the past months.

  Rising to my feet and dropping the remnants of my meal into the coals, I moved closer to the road, giving Trygve a quick pat on the neck as I moved past his enormous bulk. In comparison the horses puffing into the chill appeared to be tiny nags and moth-eaten saddle horses rather than the powerfully muscled draught horses they were. Trygve and Ultrin were without equal and I could see many sets of eyes turn and look over Viconia and I and our steeds at our camp off the side of the road.

  Expecting desperation and exhaustion, the sudden wave of anger and frustration that came from the group stopped me in my tracks momentarily. So used to our reputations and fame leaving us as the toasts of the town, the hate filled cries of "It's them!" left me bewildered and shocked even as a significant portion of the convoy began converging on us.

  "What in Shar's name is going on?" muttered Viconia by my side as the group advanced, several of the adults dropping from the sides of their wagons in tiny huddles. The way they carried themselves and gripped various objects made my heart start pumping adrenaline into my veins and I could feel my face tightening.

  "No idea." The looks we were receiving were obvious in their hostile intent, and I could see several of the men tensing themselves for a confrontation. Though we were both heavily outnumbered, I didn't have too much concern facing down over fifty unarmed and ill equipped individuals while Viconia and I were still dressed in our armour. Especially with the night now holding sway over the lands.

  "Murdering bastards!" someone from the press of people shouted amidst a chorus of similar cries.

  "-brought death to our-"

  "-blood is on your hands-"

  "Enough!" I roared, feeling the stirrings of the vampire rising to the surface and infusing my voice with its unnatural power. "What in the name of Oblivion is going on?!"

  The silence that fell was as shocking as was the sudden fear in their expressions. There was something about my expression and the malevolent presence in my eyes that seemed to quieten them into submission. Concerned mutterings continued in the group from those hidden behind their friends and companions and as a group they all seemed to glance between their fellows to see who would speak.

  "Who are you and where are you all from?" I asked, projecting my voice over the growing murmurs.

  "Glenvar." One of the men said, shrinking back as I turned and gazed on him. "We're from Glenvar Village."

  Looking over the group I struggled to see anyone that I might have recognised from our brief stay. The village may have been small, but it had still been home to a dozens of families and hundreds of individuals. There were a few faces I vaguely recognised but none that I was certain of.

  "And what happened? Daedra?"

  Almost as a single entity they shook their heads collectively. Several signs begging the protection of the Nine fluttered about in the mass by the increasingly nervous crowd but I could feel their anger diminishing rapidly.

  "Vampires?"

  Again the huddled group shook their heads and continued muttering and I found myself stepping forward looking as many of them in the eye as I could. "Is there anyone here that can tell us what in all the hells is going on?"

  After a few seconds of confusion and consternation one of the villagers stepped forward. Dressed in a thick leather coat and appearing to be one of the wagon drivers he visibly gulped as he felt my gaze upon him. "The village has been suffering attacks these past weeks. The disappearances started again a week or so after you both left, but then people started dying."

  The surge of excited fear rose again and the group began muttering and calling out again, their cries drowning out each other's and struggling to be heard.

  "-the miller-"

  "-Leoltierus and his family-"

  "-my daughter-"

  "-Aedile Philevus and his wife-"

  "Quiet!" I roared again and the group fell silent once more. Turning I locked eyes with the drover and saw him wilt under my attentions. "What plagues the county so if not vampires?"

  The fear emanating from the man was almost as potent as brandy to the rising instincts of the vampire and I could almost bathe in it. "We... We don't know..."

  "So you and the entire village decided to simply pack up and leave without even knowing why?" Viconia spat from behind me and the crowd hushed even further until the haunting calls of owls in the forest could be heard.

  "People have been dying." He replied simply, looking between myself and Viconia. "Those who don't simply disappear during the night have been found the next morning. Most of the time we have been unable to identity what little remains."

  "When did all this start?" I asked carefully and simply and I saw him quickly count off on his fingers.

  "Eleven days ago."

  The day after Viconia and I received our knighthoods and almost a full month since killing Lord Volmyr and the rest of his coven. I was almost entirely sure that I had not left any vampires alive in Nornalhorst and there was something about the way that the villagers were describing the more recent deaths that didn't sit well with me. It didn't sound like the work of vampires and even those standing before Viconia and I didn't believe so either.

  "And are you all that is left?"

  The drover shook his head. "Another group headed to the north to Pell's Gate and a few left to seek assistance from the Legion at Fort Homestead. We're heading to Bravil."

  Viconia snorted behind me and rolled her eyes. "You'd be better off staying in your homes than seeking refuge in that cesspit."

  Ignoring Viconia and the looks of astonishment from some in the group I mentioned for him to continue. "What about the castle? Why didn't your liege assist you?"

  I saw the looks and felt the tingle of unease steadily crawling its way up my spine. "The castle is closed. It has been since the first disappearances. We haven't seen or heard from Count Albric or anyone else from the castle in over a fortnight, and even the portcullis had been closed. It hasn't been closed in years, maybe even a decade or more."

  "Anyone left in the village?"

  He shrugged noncommittally. "Only a handful, maybe two dozen or more. There were those who didn't wish to leave their homes and a few others who decided to fortify the town hall and wait for assistance."

  Viconia watched as I breathed out heavily and ran my fingers through my hair. "Your thoughts?" I said to her simply.

  "There's no other way to bypass this misbegotten County and head to Anvil by chance?"

  I shook my head, seeing the looks of hatred and horror returning as they heard the two of us considering not going to the source of their troubles. "Not without heading back to Bravil and finding a ship heading to the Imperial City."

  She swore loudly and forcibly. "Vith'nindel. Even Trygve and Ultrin couldn't drag me back to that shithole." Tilting her head at me and pointedly ignoring the people standing around us she raised an eyebrow. "I guess that we aren't even going to get paid for this either?"

  "Not in the slightest." I looked over the group standing before us. They all seemed to be torn between their anger at their belief of us bringing such death and horror into their lives and the weight of expectation at us saving their homes and lives.

  "Well..." She muttered bitterly. "Looks like we get to go all noble..."