Isran glared at Nathan over the table. Nathan knew he couldn't deny that time was against him. Isran's straightened himself up, his eyes darting to his people around the room, before he reluctantly told him. "I guess with a cure available to us... Having someone on the inside could be... beneficial. You have proven yourself capable... for a bard. Before I consider trusting you. I want answers." Escher and Serana both shook their heads subtly, but Nathan shrugged out. "What do you want to know?" Isran tapped a finger on the worn table, flatly replying. "What were the vampires after? What is their plan?" Nathan glanced at Jack, who stared back without expression. Nathan didn't know if he should bring any of this up but answered honestly with just the major details. "Harkon was looking for a map. A piece to a prophecy." Isran rested his arms on the table, leaning forward with more focused interest as he said. "That doesn't make sense. What is he hoping to find? What is so important to them?" Serena cleared her throat, but Nathan ignored her to say calmly. "They are looking for Auriel's Bow. Do you know it?"

Isran jerked back a little, his eyes going distant when he answered thoughtfully. "I've heard of it. Not much though. Tends to show up in history from time to time. The old Dawnguard tried to find it once. It's a hard thing to track down. Highly sought after though." Nathan perked up, asking before anyone else could. "What do you know about it?" Isran exhaled, folding his arms on the table when he answered uneasily. "It's old. Ancient even. Some claim it's a myth. It was forged in the time during the wars of the Dawn Era. They say its craftsmanship has no equal in all of Tamriel. That it draws from the Aetherius... or in layman's terms... the Immortal Plane to channel the powers of the sun. They say the arrows loosed from it were rays of pure white sunlight. I believe there was a bit in there about some guy defeating another and ripping out his heart. Where it was then fastened to one of the arrows of Auriel's bow and shot across the sea to form the Red Mountains... but it's unclear if any of that is true." Escher suddenly straightened up, asking Isran curiously. "You're talking about Auri-El and the fight against the forces of Lorkhan during the Ehlnofey wars of the Dwan Era?" All eyes turned to Escher.

Isran huffed, waving a dismissive hand as he mumbled out. "Sounds right. Lot of Elven nonsense. Akatosh is the Chief god of the nine divines. Not some Elf..." Escher glared at Isran darkly, curling his fingers into fists. Upon taking a deep breath, Escher calmly corrected and informed the others. "Auri-El happens to be MY Pantheon. He was a Snow Elf and for your information... It is said that Akatosh and Auri-El might be the same person! He often takes the form of a white dragon and thus is more commonly known today as the Father of Dragons." Serana chuckled a to herself, adding in with a smirk. "Auriel's bow is a god weapon forged by the God who created Dragons... That makes sense." Escher nodded, adding in swiftly. "That is why the craftsmanship is unmatched. It wasn't made on this plane. And I'd bet that just like the Daedric Artifacts, Auri-El's champion holds the weapon now." Isran rolled his eyes, while Jack gently slipped in. "But I'm Akatosh's Champion. I'm the Dragonborn and I don't have it..." Serana glanced between them and said a little excitedly. "A previous champion, maybe? Someone you've never encountered?"

Mark snorted, swallowing his food before stating out bluntly. "Would have to be pretty fucking old. We encountered the last Dragonborn, and he didn't have it." Escher turned soft eyes on Nathan, excitedly telling everyone. "Maybe... The person is an Elf? Someone with long life? Or was given unnaturally long life? Someone from sometime after the Dawn wars? Someone he trusted to carry it?" Nathan shrugged, saying honestly. "Maybe. Or it has just been passed down and hoarded by people that know what it is. Daedric Artifacts are priceless... but to get one's hands on a god weapon... That would be more valuable than the Elder Scrolls. And in the wrong hands..." Mark finished his drink, before finishing rather uneasily. "Devastating. With a weapon like that in Ulfric or Tullius's hands... This war would take a nasty turn." Jack put a hand on Mark's arm to calm him, as he told them all confidently. "But it hasn't been used like that. No one has seen it for ages. It's practically a myth. Which means that whoever has it, has had no intention to use it. Or even show it off. Whoever has it, is protecting it, or collecting it. And that could play into our favor."

Nathan blinked, staring Jack down now as he blurted out. "OUR favor?" Jack nodded, telling him seriously. "You think I'm going to just go home now? After hearing that someone out there is holding onto a weapon like that?" Nathan huffed, stating out sternly. "You have kids! This doesn't concern you." Jack slammed his hand down on the table, snapping back a little bitterly. "You made this my problem, Nate! You put my family at risk TWICE! Now you're after a weapon that threatens Skyrim and I'm supposed to sit back and watch?!" Nathan opened his mouth to defend himself, but Jack shushed him and added like a scolding parent. "NO! I don't want to hear it! I am the Dragonborn. It is my job to keep Skyrim safe. You dragged me into this and now you're all going to have to deal with it." Isran huffed darkly, muttering out under his breath. "Some protector. Skyrim is at war and after years of warning you people about the vampire scourge... Now you want to join the fight. Typical." Nathan's arm hairs rose with the sudden surge of discreet power that came from Jack as he rose to his feet. Glaring at Isran, Jack's eyes slowly turned into fiery blue dragon eyes when he growled out darkly to Isran in return. "Don't push me, Asshole. You have no idea what I've done for Skyrim. Be thankful that I'm not holding a grudge for you threatening the lives of MY family."

Isran waved a dismissive hand, causing thin sparks of lightning to dance over Jack's fingers. Mark quickly reached out to touch Jack, then yelped as static zapped him. Jack's mood cooled and Serana chuckled a little. Mark licked his fingers with a smirk, his eyes on Jack as Jack in turn smiled. Breaking up the tension, Escher told Nathan clearly. "Let him join us, Nate. We don't know who holds the bow. We'll need all the power we can get." Before Nathan could say anything, Isran butted in firmly. "He has a right to be concerned. If this bow turns out not to be a myth. Then the question remains. Who gets it?" Escher closed his eyes and exhaled in disappointment. Nathan saw the fight coming too. Serana was the first to state out coolly. "The bow is mine. I had the 'piece of the map' and it is my father that will die by it." Isran leaned in then, sneering out. "That weapon belongs with us in the Dawnguard. We'll use it against your father. You can sure of that!" Serana scoffed with distaste, snapping back at Isran. "Over my ashes! That weapon will NEVER touch your hands! You are already a bunch of bloodthirsty warmongering brutes! The last thing you need is the power of the sun!"

Isran opened his mouth, but Jack cut in sharply. "Neither of you will have it! If the weapon is meant for Akatosh's champion than it will go to me to keep it safe." Isran rose from the bench, prompting Mark to rise to defend Jack from him. Pointing a stern finger at Jack, Isran snapped out. "Just because you're the Dragonborn, doesn't me you are entitled to have it! That weapon belongs with us! WE will put it to good use! You'd just hide it away somewhere like a coward!" Serana rose to her feet, snapping out at both Jack and Isran. "Neither of you should have it! Vampires have a right to exist and both of you can't be trusted not to use it against us!" Escher exhaled, propping his head up on his palm as he told Nathan grimly. "Is there a way to have Auri-El take the bow back so no one can have it?" Nathan chuckled, taking a swig from his wineskin before telling Escher sweetly. "Nope. Cause this is probably how the gods test us... and how we keep failing. We haven't learned to share." Escher laughed, leaning against Nathan to avoid Serana's movements. After a minute of listening to them argue, Nathan asked Escher curiously. "Auri-El was a Snow Elf? Akatosh...? I... I've never heard that."

Facing him better, Escher told him warmly. "I'm not surprised. A lot of Snow Elf culture is gone. Even the Elves of other ethnicities don't seem to remember our stories. But I've been trying to remember them. Now I see why I might be having trouble finding them... Seems Nords have spelled their names by how they are said in their tongue and not by how we say or spell their names." Perking up a little, Escher regaled to him openly. "Did you know that the sun represents the connection from our world to the Immortal Plane? So, if this bow draws power from the sun, then it is drawing power from another world. I've heard many mages are trying to see if they can harness the power to go there and one day meet the gods in person." Nathan smirked, telling Escher playfully. "Maybe they created this world to keep us OUT of theirs." Escher chuckled, leaning in to kiss Nathan's cheek. Nathan enjoyed the kiss, then slowly stood up. Coaxing Escher safely away from the table, Nathan slammed his hand down on it with enough force to crack the wood. The loud sound of the impact silenced the entire dining hall.

Staring all of them down in turn, Nathan told them as calmly and as clearly as he could. "Look. I don't want to make waves. But I think all of you need a reality check. You are fighting over something we DON'T have yet. You can stand here fighting for hours about it... and while you do. Harkon and his people are out there. Right now. Looking for it!" Serana raised an eyebrow with a perplexed look. So, he asked them all with a blank look. "Tell me... Has anyone seen my Moth Priest?" All of them fell silent. Nathan looked to Isran, who asked curiously. "You have a Moth Priest?" Nodding, Nathan shrugged out. "When you took us, you didn't see a blind man in grey robes?" Isran shook his head. Serana's heart sank, when she almost whispered out. "Oh no... He heard everything. If Harkon's men find him..." Jack's hand rose to run through his hair, before he asked Isran in distress. "Tell me that you took the Elder Scrolls?" Nathan closed his eyes with defeat. He didn't have to look at Isran, because he gawked out. "What? You had...? No! How many did you have?!" Escher crossed his arms, telling Nathan openly for the others to hear. "He knew they were important to you. So, he snatched them and hide. Since you were captured... Thralls will take themselves and any valuables back to your home. He's going back to Solitude."

Serana shrugged, saying hopefully. "We can get him. How fast can a blind man travel on foot?" Escher shrugged, telling her honestly. "The Dawnguard took us well across Skyrim. He wouldn't have to travel nearly that far and if he got help from someone... He could have been there days ago. Which means that Harkon knows. And he knows what we done." Looking to Isran, Nathan told him seriously. "We're gonna need supplies. We've got to leave now and pray that we get there in time." Escher's eyes widened and he rushed up to take Nathan's arm. Pulling him close, he whispered discreetly into his ear. "Durnehviir! You said you've ridden a dragon before? Call him. We might make it if he's a fast flyer." Nathan grinned, nodding as he told him. "Ya... That could work." Isran straightened up, telling Nathan sternly. "Fine. I'll let you go. And I trust you to bring the bow here if and when you find it. Then we'll discuss what to do with it in a civilized manner." Nathan doubted that but agreed to it. To Be Continued...