The Dawnguard Hunter

The Mothers Return

Rayan sat behind Victoria and held onto her hips as she reared her horse to start moving. 

"Where is your horse this time?" Victoria asked.

"I don't know anymore, after you left the tent I asked the medic where she found us." Rayan answered.

"And?" Mhara asked as she moved right next to them.

"And she said there were no horses on the shoreline or in the Thalmor fortress when they took the boats from them." Rayan answered the apprentice thief's question.

It was midday when they left Solitude and were on the road and halfway towards Dragon Bridge.  

"This pathway here." Rayan said in a grim tone as he pointed in front of Victoria showing the path that led to Castle Volkihar.

"Dragon Bridge is this way." She said slightly concerned at his tone. 

"I know, there is something I need to do first." He said.

Victoria nodded and turned  on to the pathway Rayan had pointed at leading up and over a hill that showed the Thalmor fortress on their way dawn and the small jetty Rayan first used. They three saw a large campsite that seemed fit for a small company but it didn't matter to them as they were neutral.  

Rayan was the first to step in the small boat and picked up the oars only to have dull pain fill him and hearing his joints pop.

"Ha, now its my turn. I don't want you doing anything until you heal." Mhara said nearly quoting Rayan from so long ago when they had the daedroth contract. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting to say that." 

Rayan let out a laugh as he changed seating in the boat letting Mhara take the oars as Victoria pushed the boat then hopped into it next to him. 

"What do you think the tents are for?" Mhara strained in between breaths as she rowed the boat. 

Rayan looked back at all the tents near the fortress. "I don't know and I don't care to know what the Thalmor are doing."

"You have a grudge against them that is for sure." Mhara pointed out.

"They screw anyone who isn't a high elf out of money and despite me being a dawnguard they wait until the monster problem gets worse be fore the hire any of us." Rayan said clearly letting his voice drip with hatred. "And if you want me to add on, they tried stealing guild contracts."

"Fair enough. But I've never personally experienced them beside the after part when I helped you find Victoria when she was after that orc." Mhara said. 

"Don't judge till you meet them but do be careful and alert if you do." Victoria said.

"Words all thieves live by." Mhara said. 

While the boat moved slowly and was still the same area Rayan looked around just because he could.

Before they reached the island Rayan saw several row boats coming towards them filled with armored Thalmor soldiers that only gave the three nords elitist glances. Raya saw that they were coming form large ship further out that would have been impossible to see form Skyrims shoreline.

"I don't like this." Victoria said.

"We will need to hurry." Mhara said.

"As much as I agree, I won't hurry this." Rayan said.

"You won't hurry for the woman that loves you who is also sitting next to you or me?" Mhara said as she slowly adopted her snarky tone.

"If this was you two, I would take my time and get everything right. and don't you DARE give me that tone, not this time and not with this." Rayan said angrily.