Nathan eventually got himself to drift off to sleep, but it was a restless sleep. His dreams were plagued with nightmares. His dreams took him through the Dimhollow crypt over and over. Each time watching someone he cared about die. His mother. His father. Dumbuk. Even Escher. He heard their screams over and over, until his body jerked awake. Panting heavily, he looked out at the gloomy sky. The clouds were shades of grey on a growing soft white horizon. Dawn was approaching. Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes and pulled his wineskin closer to drink heavily from it. Upon hearing the snow crunch, he stiffened. From somewhere outside the tent, Serana asked him nicely. "I'd ask how you slept... but I could tell it wasn't pleasant." Removing his protection spell, he climbed out and began to pack up his stuff without saying a word. Serana stood by her horse, petting its face. After a moment of awkward silence, she said softly with a sigh. "I let you sleep longer hoping it would help..." Strapping his stuff onto Walter, he took a deep breath and answered as nicely as he could. "Thanks. But the only thing that helps is drinking..."

Pulling himself up into the saddle, Serana retorted gently. "That doesn't sound healthy..." Nathan chuckled dryly, turning his horse before answering promptly. "Maybe not. But it's how I have to deal with it in order to power through my day. Otherwise, I'd just stay in bed and forget the world exists." Serana rode up alongside him, eyeing him closely as she said in a calm voice. "I'm not spoiled, you know... and I didn't want to be a vampire. But you do things for... family." Nathan looked at her without saying a word. He could tell her words were genuinely how she felt. Otherwise, she was a VERY good actress. Lifting her head to look at the road ahead, she told him in a sad voice. "My parents don't get along... They were always fighting when I was growing up. I was always being pulled between them. Always told to pick a side. I have very few happy memories. I may have grown up in a castle... but you'd be surprised how cold and empty it can be." Nathan nodded, reluctantly admitting to her. "Ya... The Arcane University was like that. A castle filled with people... but none of them care about anything passed their own agendas. Just ends up feeling like a lush cage." Serana nodded with the tiniest of smiles on her face.

Wondering if she was opening up to him as a way of starting over, he asked her curiously. "If you didn't want to be a vampire... What changed your mind?" Serana suddenly hugged herself with one of her arms, cringing as she strained out. "My father wanted us to be safe. He thought with more time that we'd work out our problems and be the perfect family. He was a warlord. He had a lot of enemies. He never hesitated to become a vampire... but he worried about hurting us if we didn't change too." Nathan licked his dry lips, asking in a gentler tone. "Didn't work out that way, huh?" Serana avoided his eyes but nodded. There was a short silence, before she got up the courage to tell him. "It just made things worse... Putting up with each other for eternity is a long time... I don't see us changing." Nathan looked her over body language. She looked ashamed and scared. The way her fingers dug into her arm made him think she was distressed more than the normal person would be over fighting parents. Raising an eyebrow, he asked her in a warm comforting voice. "Did he hurt you?" Her head jerked up, finally meeting his eyes again when she blurted out in a sad voice. "What? No. My father has never touched me. Not even to hug me. He doesn't... like women anymore. Not after the hell my mother put him through."

Nathan furrowed his brows, curiously blurting out. "He didn't bite you? To change you, I mean." Serana's face seemed to pale even more, her eyes darting away from him again when she stammered out. "He did... but that didn't turn me into what I am... I'd be just a normal... What we are, we are because..." She trembled a little, before telling him in a sudden guarded voice. "I don't want to talk about it. I'm sorry. It's... personal." She kicked her horse to walk faster. Nathan watched her ride ahead with a neutral look. Someone had hurt her. He could tell that much. Being a Bard, he ran into women all the time that had been traumatized by lusty soldiers or bandits. He could read the signs as clear as the dawn, but he wasn't going to push her. Instead, he tried to think of a way to change the subject. He was going to try and make a light joke about her family living in a castle that could possibly rival the grandeur of the Blue Palace in Solitude... until it hit him. Yanking Walter into a stop, he asked aloud with a mix of nervous excitement. "This castle up north of Solitude... Does it have a name?" Serana glanced over her shoulder, answering with a shrug. "If it had a name, I don't know it. My parents just call it Castle Volkihar. Why? Do you know of it?"

Nathan's heart leapt out of his chest as he mumbled under his breath. "Escher." The thrill of possibly seeing him again had Nathan kicking Walter to walk faster. Part of him started to twist up with worry and guilt the closer they got to Solitude though. Pieces were slowly connecting in his head. Didn't Escher say that a warlord was reigning over a coven north of Solitude? A very old and powerful vampire named Lord Harkon? Swallowing, he discreetly asked her in a light voice. "Back in the crypt, you said something about wondering who oversaw the coven? Why is that? Who are you hoping to see when we get there?" Serana straightened up, telling him in a hopeful voice. "Well... I'm hoping to see my mother. It would mean we succeeded in our plan. If we see my father... Well... Let's just hope I'm wrong." Nathan's heart started to beat faster as he thought about the scroll falling into Lord Harkon's hands. He didn't want that to happen. Yet, he also wanted to see Escher and the odds of Serana taking him there if he told her who was in charge was not likely. Serana suddenly turned to look at him, asking with unease. "Do you know something? You smell like fear." Nathan cleared his throat, kicking Walter to trot past her as he blurted out flawlessly. "You're the one making me feel nervous. All this talk about how scary your dad is. And here I am, taking you into a castle full of hungry vampires. I feel like a cow being led to slaughter."

Serana chuckled, telling him confidently. "Just don't mention that you're with the Dawnguard and I'll protect you. My mother will be thrilled to see me. My dad... I can reason with." Nathan nodded, biting his tongue. He decided not to say anything. His desire to see Escher overpowering his need to secure the scroll. Taking a back road around Solitude, Nathan tried to avoid drawing the attention of the Thalmor that were stationed in a military Fort by the oceanside. Pulling Walter to a stop, he pointed to the Fort and informed her seriously. "Don't get too close. They work for the Empire. And if you are not on their side... they'll kill you. If they don't think they can torture something out of you first..." Serana raised an eyebrow, asking a little amused. "How do you know that?" Nathan blushed a little, admitting unabashedly. "I've been nailing the General's wife." Serana's jaw dropped, before she let out a startled chuckle. Nathan smirked, then pointed to the ocean, telling her with a shrug. "This is as far north as we can get. The rest is ocean. So... Where do we go?" Serana recovered from his statement, pointing in the same direction as she told him confidently. "The castle is just there within that cloud bank over the water. It's an illusion spell. There used to be a boat on this bank that could take us there and back."

Dismounting, Nathan pulled Walter over into a shaded spot out of sight of the Fort. Tying up Walter's reins to a branch, he told her coolly. "Stay here. I'm going to have a look." Turning invisible, Nathan moved out to walk along the bank around the Fort. It didn't take him long to find the little broken and half sunk dock behind the Fort. It was nestled in just the right spot that it blended in with the mossy brown bank. Nathan turned around to go get Serana but jumped out of his skin upon seeing her just behind him. Serana jumped upon hearing his sharp inhale, asking softly. "What? What happened?" Nathan ended his invisibility, glaring at her as his heart thundered around in his chest from fright. Serana winced, whispering to him. "Sorry. I just decided to follow your footprints. Cover our tracks and just get on our way. You know, work smarter and not harder?" Shaking his head, he gestured her to get into the Icewater Jetty. Serana took his hand and stepped into the boat. Once she was seated with the oar, he untied the jetty and pushed it into the deeper water before jumping in. With Serana's inhuman strength, the jetty cut through the freezing water quite quickly.

Making their way through the thick fog, the castle finally came into view. The castle was massive with a gothic and haunted air about it. The shore was made of black sand and the arched stone bridge leading up to the doors of the castle was menacing. There were gargoyle statues stationed up the bridge and the birds that flew around the watchtower were creepy. They were similar to black hawks, but their heads were just skulls. Serana glanced at the watchtower, telling him a little nervously. "It's abandoned... and falling into ruin... That can't be good." Nathan kept his mouth shut, letting her lead him on toward the castle. While walking up the wide stone bridge, his eyes darted from one gargoyle to another. He was convinced they weren't alive because they weren't moving as they passed by. However, ever so often, he thought he saw one move its eyes. He couldn't be sure though. The movement was just too quick. Serana walked toward the iron gate set before the entrance door without fear of anything around her. Nathan flipped his hood up to stop the thick curtains of falling snow from clinging to his hair. He even pulled his cloak tighter around himself to hide Dawnbreaker from view.

The place was as silent as a graveyard and there was no light or warmth coming from the castle. Which only put Nathan on edge. Nothing about the place suggested there was life. The place felt as dead as the vampires that were possibly in it. Serana stopped short a few feet from the iron gate, turning to face him with a sudden unsettled expression as she said in a soft whisper. "Hey, so... before we go in there... I wanted to thank you again for getting me this far. But after we get in there... I'll probably have to go my own way for a while. You know... to catch up privately with my family or whoever is left." Nathan nodded, watching her shuffle her feet before continuing anxiously. "I don't know what is going to happen when we get inside... but I will reward you for your help and kindness. Even if we did get off to a rocky start..." Nathan gave her a small smirk but couldn't say anything. He was getting worried himself but was trying not to show it. She started to turn, and he started to move up, until she turned back around quickly to stop him with a hand to his chest. Nathan stopped, hoping she couldn't feel his pounding heart beneath the layers of clothing.

Bowing her head a little over his shoulder, she whispered hopefully in a discreet whisper. "I know that...'your friends' would probably want to kill everyone in here. But I'm hoping that you can show some more control than that." Nathan flashed her his best smile, whispering back a bit snarkily. "I'm not stupid. I'm outnumbered, and you all move faster than me. I'm not starting shit." Serana giggled a little, relief filling her voice as she told him. "Good. Once we're inside, just keep quiet and stay close. Let me handle them." Nathan gave her a little bow, that almost made her blush. From behind the iron gate a few feet away, a watchman called out. "Hey! Turn around and go back the way you came, if you know what's good for you! I won't ask again!" Serana turned around and pushed her hood back, causing the old Watchman to gasp and state aloud in shock. "Lady Serana? Well, I'll be... After all these years, you have returned! Forgive me, Princess. For I did not recognize you." Serana made her way up to the gate, giving the old man a warm smile. The old Watchman grabbed a lever and shoved it over with one hand. For a man that looked so old and frail, his strength was a surprise to Nathan. He'd always imagined Vampires as young and beautiful. He had never considered how frightening an old looking vampire would be.

The iron gate rose quickly, and he bowed to Serana as she moved into the enclosed space. Before she reached the large heavy wooden doors, the Watchman dashed over to push them open for her. She held her head high, strolling in with grace and nobility. As Nathan followed at her heels, the Watchman turned to look at him, his eyes going from a human brown to a solid black. The old Watchman's fangs extended, and Nathan grabbed the handle of Dawnbreaker under his cloak. When Serana cut in sternly. "Don't, Fenton! He is my guest." Fenton's eyes and fangs changed back, before giving Serana another bow in response. Nathan released the hilt of his sword, stepping inside the castle. The doors closed behind them, and Nathan was going to tell Serana something, but another Vampire strolled out of a side room. The elven Vampire's eyes looked directly at Nathan, prompting him to hiss out aggressively. "How dare you trespass here, Mortal! You will pay with your-!" The elven Vampire drifted off as his eyes darted to Serana. His features suddenly relaxing as he said in disbelief. "Wait... Princess Serana? Is that truly you? I can't believe my eyes!"

Nathan raised an eyebrow as the elven Vampire quickly strolled off toward the balcony overlooking the next room that gave off the only warm light. Nathan took that moment to look at Serana and whispered suspiciously. "Princess? You didn't tell me that part." Serana bit her lower lip, shrugging out in a guilty whisper. "I... I didn't want you to think that I was the typical spoiled princess. All this... It's not me. It's my father." Nathan wanted to say something smug about having rescued a princess, but his attention was drawn to the elven Vampire as he announced loudly over the balcony. "My lord! Everyone! Princess Serana has returned!" Serana tensed up, uttering out under her breath nervously. "Lord...? Then that means..." The chamber ahead filled with voices that gasped out. "What?! I can't believe it! Where has she been?!" Serana slowly trudged up to the balcony as the elven Vampire rushed down the steps and out of the way. Serana stopped to rest her hands on the beautifully carved stone banister, and Nathan inched up behind her. He stayed more in her shadow, scanning the massive dining hall. The dining tables were set up in a 'U' shape toward the entrance with at least three or four golden candelabras at the three long tables.

The guests that sat at the tables were dressed in the finest clothing and drank from jeweled goblets. While at the head table, there was a large golden throne with red leather lining. Sitting in the throne chair was a man in possibly his late thirties or early forties. He was dressed in fine red silk with golden accents. He had the look of a distinguished solider and his dark hair only had traces of silver in it. Sitting across his lap and drinking from a jeweled goblet was a man that made Nathan exhale shakily in relief. Escher. Escher smiled at something the old man whispered to him, then slid off his lap to sit in a small chair beside the throne chair. The older man then got to his feet and bellowed aloud in a deep powerful voice that was anything but welcoming. "My long-lost daughter returns at last. I trust that you have my Elder Scroll?" Serana sighed heavily with a grim look on her face. They both made their way down the steps to walk out between the tables and into the warm light. As Nathan moved into the light, the Vampires hissed a little. Nathan didn't care though. His eyes were on Escher. Escher looked like a deer caught in the sights of a hunter.

Escher straightened up in his seat, his wide eyes darting discreetly from Lord Harkon to Nathan. Nathan stood still, letting Serana move up to confront her father. To Be Continued...