Nate let Dumbuk lead him passed Riften and into the lush overgrown forest. Nate loved the forest and mountain landscape. Riften always had trees that gave off colors of fall no matter the season it was. It was gorgeous. Yet, Nate never let his guard down. With such tall yellow tinged grass and dark brown or grey colors... it was easy for wolves and large spiders to hide in. Dumbuk scanned the area around them as the horses slowly moved through the brush. The place was rather quiet with only a bird or two tweeting, or the buzzing of bees on occasion. The closer they got to the mountains, the more a cleared dirt path came into view. Allowing them to follow it across an old stone bridge and into a mountain road clearing. The road continued up into the mountains, but Dumbuk slowed his horse and turned it toward the mountainside on his left. Nate stopped his horse, not seeing a way forward that way. It looked like he was going to ride into the mountain's base. However, as he approached, a voice asked him curiously. "What brings you here, Traveler?" Dumbuk puffed his chest up, answering promptly. "We've followed the dawn to help ward off the shadows."

Nate raised an eyebrow, watching as a cluster of ivy was moved aside like a curtain. Behind the thick ivy was a large mountain tunnel and standing just within was a young male wood elf of stunning beauty. The wood elf was dressed in light leather armor adorned with the symbol of the Dawnguard and he lowered a large crossbow with a silver tipped bolt. Beside the wood elf was a brown husky that was dressed in padded armor with the Dawnguard symbol. The wood elf beckoned them in with the jerking of his head, uttering back to Dumbuk softly. "May the light guide and protect you, Brother." Dumbuk nodded his head, encouraging his horse through. Nate turned to follow him into the long dark tunnel, eyeing the husky. The husky sniffed them as they passed but stayed out of their way. Nate had never seen a dog that was so well trained. The second they were through; Nate watched the wood elf cast a spell to erase their tracks and then let the ivy fall back into place. After the ivy settled, the wood elf sat back down on his chair and stared discreetly into the ivy. Riding up next to Dumbuk, Nate asked him curiously. "What is that about? Aren't you looking for recruits?"

Dumbuk nodded, informing him swiftly. "We are. But in the past, we have had vampire thralls try to impersonate our ranks. This is how we keep that from happening again. We ask a question only a member would know how to answer and even if they know it... The dog can smell the scent of death on you." Nate raised an eyebrow, mumbling out only loud enough for Dumbuk to hear. "Are you sure? It didn't smell Escher on me. I think he might be defective." Dumbuk smirked, stating back with dry humor. "Probably couldn't smell anything passed all the booze." Nate narrowed his eyes on Dumbuk, sarcastically shooting back. "Ha. Ha. Still means it didn't work." Dumbuk chuckled, before coolly telling him. "It works. The scent of death on you is too light. The dog is trained to identify the difference in the scent of someone who has killed vampires, over someone who hangs around them periodically... but I will bring that up to Isran as a possible issue." Nate scoffed at him, then gawked at the landscape as they left the cave. Nestled behind the mountain was a gorgeous canyon valley. An icy cliffside waterfall ran down into a large pool of water, where a few men were fishing. Dumbuk waved to the fishermen, then informed Nate happily. "This is Dayspring Canyon. Over there are our fishermen. They breed all the fish that we eat at the Fort. We don't use merchants. Can't risk getting poisoned by the enemy. So, we sustain ourselves by allowing a few farmers to stay and help us. In return, they get our protection."

Nate watched Dumbuk wave to another man that was feeding some fenced in cows. Then to a few women that were tending to a garden of vegetables. Nate nodded to them, following Dumbuk up the wide dirt road. Along the road, Dumbuk saluted a Dawnguard man in full heavy steel Dawnguard armor, who was being tailed by a white husky in padded armor. Nate waved to the man himself, asking Dumbuk swiftly. "You guys look like you are doing ok. Got a nice little thing going on. So, where is the base camp?" Dumbuk crested the hill, then pointed ahead as he answered proudly. "We are doing more than ok. Our base of operations is there. Welcome to Fort Dawnguard." Nate crested the hill and pulled Walter to a sudden stop. Just ahead was a wooden barricade set at a nice choke point in the road between the cliffs. While guards stood beside the open gate with their loyal sitting huskies; beyond the gate was a massive grey castle! Dumbuk chuckled as he saw his reaction, asking him rhetorically. "You weren't expecting that were you? Bet you thought we lived in military tents and sat around bonfires telling scary war stories."

Nate nodded, replying in an awestruck tone. "Ya, something like that. Holy shit... How did you get this place?" Dumbuk grinned, leading him onward as he said proudly. "It's a long story. The short of it is that an old King of Riften built it for his son. When his son died, the place was turned over to his guards. They formed the Dawnguard. The place was forgotten. Now it's our private sanctuary." Nate followed him through the gate and looked at all the wooden outposts set up high to look over the valley area set before the castle. The long dark banners with the golden symbol of the round shield sun waved in the soft breeze stationed high over every outpost. On a large wooden platform, Dawnguard veterans were training new recruits with sparring matches. While on another wooden platform, a veteran was teaching new recruits how to shoot crossbows and recurve bows at distant targets. As they slowly made their way to the castle, they came to another wooden barricade that surrounded the castle itself. Just outside the barricade, Dumbuk dismounted by a large stable. A teenager rushed out to take the reins of Dumbuk's horse and Dumbuk thanked him. Patting his horse's neck as it was led into the stable.

Dumbuk gestured to the stable, telling Nate openly. "We walk from here. Leave your horse with the stable boy. He'll take good care of him." Nate dismounted, petting Walter's neck as the stable boy came back to take the reins. Nate reluctantly let him take Walter as the Stable boy asked him cheerfully. "Does he have any special needs that I should know about?" Nate shook his head. The stable boy smiled, leading Walter into the stable as he cooed out to him. "You are in luck. I just finished cleaning the stalls and was going to get everybody breakfast." Nate looked to Dumbuk, grumbling out a little defensively. "He's going to spoil my horse... and it's hard enough to get him to listen normally." Dumbuk clamped him on the back, chuckling out. "Oh, you're just trying to find something wrong with the place now. Come on. Let me show you the inside." Nate gestured for Dumbuk to lead on and followed behind him. Dumbuk led up around the spiraling dirt path and passed a cave that was nestled up in the mountain, where more guards were stationed. Walking up to the castle steps, Dumbuk told him a little excited. "Some of the rooms are still being worked on. But slowly we are returning the place to its former glory. We've had to put priorities first, but with a few more hands... this place will be a fortress fit for a king."

Nate's heart sank a little as he looked over the massive castle and said grimly. "And who is in charge of this guild? How do the other guilds feel about you stacking claim to a castle? I can't imagine the current Jarl of Riften thinking this is a very good idea. After all... What's stopping your leader from stacking himself as a Jarl and building a formidable force of his own?" Dumbuk rolled his eyes, waving a dismissive hand at him as he told him lightly. "Oh, that's the beauty of the whole thing. No one else knows about this place. And besides, it belongs to the Dawnguard and Isran has no interest in becoming a Jarl." Nate gave Dumbuk a hard stare, before stating bluntly in return. "Yet. As word gets around. People will learn of this place. It will make the Jarls question its desires and motives. They'll want to know which Jarl the guild supports. Where its loyalties stand. If the guild is a threat..." Dumbuk scoffed, replying flatly. "You are thinking about this too much, Bard. We protect everyone from the Vampire menace. That is all. We are no threat to anyone else." Nate started to move toward the steps, telling Dumbuk in passing. "And when you've hunted down and killed every last vampire? What becomes of the Dawnguard then?"

Dumbuk stood in silence, prompting Nate to add over his shoulder as he made his way up the steps. "You may not be thinking about that now... but maybe you should. Because like it or not... You are building an army. An army of people that want to kill things... That never ends well when they run out of things to kill." Making his way up to the large wooden doors, Nate pushed open one and slipped inside. Just inside was a massive circular stone room with high ceilings that went up to a glass dome. While the floor of the room had a cobblestone walkway that led to the circular centerpiece beneath the dome. All around the circular stone centerpiece was a grated floor that revealed continuous rushing water. It was an interesting design, but pointless in Nate's eyes. Dumbuk, however, started to tell him cheerfully before fading off. "Neat, huh? Vampires can't cross over rushing water. So, they can't just stroll... in." Nate's attention was drawn to the same thing that Dumbuk's was. Two men were standing in the center of the room. One was a Hammerfell man in Dawnguard armor. The other was an older Nord in the robes of those worn by the Vigilants of Stendarr.

The man in Vigilant robes was panting heavily and his robes had seen better days. They were torn and dirty like he'd been in a vigorous fight. While the Dawnguard man standing before him, firmly growled out in a dark unyielding tone of voice. "Why have you summoned me, Tolan? The Vigilants and I are finished with each other. Have been for a long time." Tolan tried to collect himself enough to say clearly. "There is only one reason that I'm here and I need you to listen, Isran! The Vigilants are under attack everywhere! The vampires are much more dangerous than we initially believed." Isran's lips curled into a spiteful grin as he uttered out under his breath gruffly. "And now you all want to come running to the Dawnguard for safety, is that it?" Before the man could answer, Isran folded his arms and started to pace slowly before the man as he stated out distastefully. "I distinctly remember Keeper Carcette telling me repeatedly that Fort Dawnguard was a crumbling ruin. Not worth the expense and manpower to repair." A bit of smugness entered into Isran's tone as he added dryly. "And now that you've stirred up the vampires against you, you now come begging for my protection. Pathetic."

Tolan inhaled deeply, then told Isran in a distressed voice. "Isran, you aren't listening. Carcette is dead! The hall of the Vigilants... everyone... they're all dead! I barely got out of there with my life to warn YOU! You were right and we were wrong. Is that not enough for you?!" Isran's eyes softened a bit, but the rest of him remained as unfeeling as stone. Isran's voice bared only the smallest hint of remorse as he replied coolly. "Yes, well... I never wanted any of this to happen. I tried to warn all of you. I am... sorry." Tolan bowed his head and sniffled. The brief pause allowed Isran's eyes to wonder, until he noticed them in the shadows of the doorway. Puffing himself up more, he asked aloud in a defensive tone. "Yes? Can I help you? What do you want?" Nate looked to Dumbuk, who hesitated like he was a little intimated by Isran or by what was overheard. So, Nate took initiative by stepping into the light of the chamber and announced curtly. "I heard you were looking for vampire hunters. Thought I might join up." Isran looked him over with hard narrowed eyes as he said lifelessly. "You heard right. I'm glad the word is finally getting around. But that means it won't be long before the vampires start to take notice as well."

Nate stood up straighter, asking in a neutral tone of voice. "True. So, what can I do to help?" Isran huffed, walking around Tolan to size up Nate as he said dryly. "I need people out in the field. People to take the fight to the damn vampires. While we're getting the Fort back into shape and training the new recruits... but you... you don't look like much." Nate couldn't help snorting as Isran circled him with disapproval, before growling out snarkily. "I didn't realize you could afford to be so picky. Last I heard... you were losing this fight." Isran stopped next to him, stating out firmly. "You've got some mouth on you. The kind that doesn't follow orders. I don't need lazy or spoiled boys like you. I need soldiers. Go home, Kid." Nate was going to say something fowl in return, when Dumbuk piped in quickly. "Isran, you might want to reconsider that." Isran turned on his heel to look at Dumbuk as he grunted out without interest. "And why is that? You think the place needs a Bard? We don't need the distraction. We are building an army. Not a brothel or a tavern." Nate raised his hand, his fingers sparking as he growled out. "You son of-!" Before he could finish, Dumbuk grabbed his wrist to stop him and stated out over Nate's outburst. "No! Because he's Torin Sharp's son!"

Isran stopped in his tracks to look at Nate with sudden interest. Even Tolan turned his attention to him with a sudden hopeful look. Nate yanked his hand from Dumbuk's grip, glaring at Isran in return. Isran lowered his arms to his sides, stating out in a more intrigued tone. "Is that so? Then he may have some value after all." Nate puffed himself up to his full height. He'd only just met the guy and already he hated him. Isran glanced between Nate and Tolan, before almost chuckling out to himself. "Tell you what... How about you look into Tolan's story about the Hall of the Vigilantes. See what you can dig up there. I don't want to waste any of my good men on it, if it turns out to be nothing more than some wild goose chase. Or a waste of my time." Tolan gawked at Isran like he wasn't being fair to him. While Isran chuckled out dryly as he walked away from them all. "Hell, with any luck. You'll find yourself a story to tell, Bard. I'm sure it will be quite amusing to hear upon your return." Nate scowled at Isran's back. He'd never wanted to paralyze someone to beat the shit out of them so badly in his life. To Be Continued...