Chapter Text
Pain
And darkness
But mostly pain. Her head felt like it had been split open. Perhaps it had?
More darkness
Warmth, engulfing her, easing the pain, such terrible pain
Voices, fading in and out
"... more potions Mother! Her heart's..."
Who's heart? Mother? Ugh, this pain...
Darkness again, darkness
The warmth once more, stronger now, lightening the darkness...
The pain, lessened, something on her face? Touching her lips? Bitterness, pungent, the pain decreasing...
Warmth again, merciful warmth, numbing the pain, now just a pounding. The voices again -
"That one helped. She was able to drink a little. Gods, come on Strelka! Heal, damn you!"
Strelka... Strelka... That's me... I know them... Why are they calling me?... Why can't I just sleep... Return to the darkness...
Frantically through her tears of anguish and worry Serana cast the spell a ninth time. The last few times she'd taken to closing her eyes, to block out the blinding intense light that flowed around Strelka, her lover... her friend... laying motionless before her. The golden swirls of light were just too bright, and Serana's sensitive eyes were starting to hurt. Even with her eyelids pressed tightly closed and her head turned away from the elf before her the light still burned her vision.
Valerica hurried up with another four bottles of potions.
"How is she doing?" the older vampire asked her daughter, anxiety creasing her brow. Valerica had resumed her human form now that the threat was past them, for which Serana was grateful. Serana was never fond of the Vampire Lord ability that the Volkihars - including her - had obtained from the ritual of Molag Bal; it reminded the younger vampire too vividly of the ordeal she'd suffered to obtain it, and she never wanted to think of that again if she could help it. But occasionally it would wind its way into her thoughts uninvited, or in this case from a visual reminder.
"Better. The bleeding has stopped, the wound is sealed. That's something. Now we just have to mend her on the inside."
"OK. Stay with her, my child," Valerica replied. "I will return shortly with more potions, though I fear my stores are running low. We may need to rely on your spell and Strelka's strong character for her to finish the recovery."
"Please hurry! She was so very close to death already."
"Of course Serana. I want to save her as much as you. I will return." Valerica hurried away towards the cathedral doors.
"Oh! Mother!" Serana turned to Valerica as an idea struck her. "If you're out of healing potion ingredients, make what you can to boost my magicka. At least that way I can keep healing her till we run out of that as well."
"That's my daughter! What a good idea!" Valerica turned again and rushed from the room.
"Come on you stubborn little milk drinker!" Serana turned back to the prone form of her lover. "Don't you dare leave me, Strelka, or so help the Gods I'll hunt you down in Oblivion or Sovngarde or wherever the heck you end up, and... and... I don't know what I'll do! But you'll be sorry! And then I'll kiss you and hold you and love you and never let go of you again. But just, please, don't leave..."
She collapsed, weeping, head bowed and eyes closed, one hand resting on Strelka's chest and the other cradling her head and charcoal black hair, matted with blood.
Serana's tears ran down her nose and dripped onto Strelka's cheek and forehead. Noticing this she cursed herself and tried to wipe them away.
"Damn it, now I'm making a mess of you!" She dabbed at the wet spots with delicate caution, then cursed again. "Where in Oblivion is Mother with those damned potions! I'll try another spell but I really think I'm spent." She called on every last scrap of magicka she had left and cast the spell, face buried in the crook of her elbow, and the cathedral was lit up once again by Strelka's small figure glowing in swirling golden streaks that curved and snaked around her prone still form.
"... Blisterwort... Blisterwort... Damn it!" Valerica muttered to herself, hurrying back and forth searching her shelves in the laboratory. "Why can't I find the damned Blisterwort when I need it! I suppose Butterfly Wing would do at a pinch. I must remember to ask Serana to gather and bring me some more of the mushrooms when she and Strelka visit next. Oh bother, I'm supposed to be making this for Strelka right now! Focus Valerica, you foolish woman! Now, Impstool would work with this; I know I have some of that..."
She fussed about her shelves and the alchemy alembic apparatus absent-mindedly tapping her chin as new ideas popped into her head, and she'd dash off to frenetically search the shelves again.
"Oh!" she cried with a snap of her fingers. "Serana's magicka potions! I simply must not overlook those either!" And she turned around mid-step and hurried back to the way she had just come to the opposite end of the laboratory to gather yet more ingredients, her arms overflowing with various fungi - the things you could make with those! - and other curious plants and pieces of long-passed animals. Such was her rushing ministrations that a good number fell on the floor and rolled away. A few even bounced into the Soul Cairn portal streaming its intense magenta glow outwards from the center of the floor. They vanished with a sizzle and a faint pop, sent to Oblivion as few organic things have ever had a chance to be.
Some minutes more, and Valerica surveyed the new collection of phials and vessels brimming with dark liquids, small clouds forming in their necks.
"That will have to do I suppose, given what I've got to work with. Oh!" she snapped her fingers again. "One more thing, but I can pick that up on the way back. Must get this down to the girls."
Pulling her cloak around to the front like an apron, she carefully placed bottle after phial within its folds, then wrapped them all up and hurried from the room.
Why, why was her head pounding so much? The pain was so intense, so much throbbing....
Strelka felt the warmth course through her body again and exhaled slowly as it wrapped around the pulsing on the side of her head. Each time the warmth came, the pain was lessened, from constant piercing to a sharp hammering to now just waves, slowly ebbing and flowing. It was almost tolerable for her, and her erratic breathing had calmed to a steady in and out, much like the waves in her head.
Then another wave of pain surged up and Strelka sunk under it again.
With a thump the cathedral doors banged open and Valerica ambled in, steadying herself against the door frame.
"Serana..." she wheezed, breathless. "here... is all... I have."
"Gods Mother, what took you so long?" Serana cried, getting to her feet and crossing the room in three strides.
"Sorry... couldn't find everything," Valerica gasped out the words, still winded.
"Here, I'll take the health and healing ones first." She glanced quickly across the selection and chose four large bottles filled with various hues of red fluid. Another couple of similar bottles caught her eye and she called back to Valerica as she hastened to the elf.
"But you also picked up two blood potions? They only work on the undead, you know that!"
"Yes child," the older vampire staggered over to her daughter and kneeled opposite her. "They're... for us, to be able... to continue on Strelka."
"Oh! That's a good point. I hadn't thought of that. Here, help me get these open."
They worked together opening the bottles and phials and Serana took the first one and started to drizzle it onto Strelka's lips.
"Come on little milk drinker, take your medicine... Pretend it's Colovian Brandy! Ha! Don't get that often, do we? Open up, there's a good girl..."
Strelka shifted slightly and let out a weak groan, her lips parting. Serana pounced on the opportunity and let dribble a good cup full of the aromatic liquid across those ashen lips. Much to her delight Strelka swallowed it, and she tried again.
"By the Blood, go easy on her, child!" Valerica spoke with concern. "These don't taste good at the best of times! While she is handling that little bit, you should drink this." She handed Serana a blood potion and a bottle full of bluish murky liquid. "Shake it first, or the Dwarven oil will separate out." When Serana gave her a deadpan stare, Valerica raised her hands in defense. "It's the best thing I had on hand! The moon sugar should mask the flavor, but maybe not. Anyway, drink up, time is wasting."
Serana winced and gagged as she drunk the entire bottle down. "Ugh, that's an acquired taste." Quickly uncorking the blood potion, she only took a few short gulps of that. "Uhhh, following one metallic flavor with another. Oh well, can't be helped. Close your eyes and turn away, Mother."
Golden light lit up the room once more, and two more times shortly after. Then she had to pause again. They continued, alternating between Serana drinking and casting her spell, and trying to get more potion into the elf, until all the bottles were consumed. Serana looked to her mother.
"What can we do now?" The tears had returned to her eyes.
"Nothing, my daughter. Until she awakens, Strelka is on her own. I believe she is through the worst of it however. Let us move her to your bed to recover."
"Yes, I think that wise, if you feel it's safe to move her?"
"Probably not, but we can't leave her here either. She needs rest, and warmth."
Valerica stood, muttered the incantation again, and was once again immersed in a cloud of bats as she transformed into the alarming Vampire Lord form. But this time, she was different. A gentleness was in her eyes, her movements. A tenderness as she scooped her strong arms delicately beneath the elf and lifted Strelka almost effortlessly, then turned and glided towards the door. She paused a moment to look back at her daughter.
"Leave all this Serana. We'll clean it up later."
"Yes Mother," Serana replied, casting a final glance around the scene, beforw following Valerica through the doors.
For a moment, Strelka didn't know where she was. This room looked familiar but she couldn't place it; flickering firelight dancing on the ceiling, but its source obscured by a screen, a bed soft against her back, darkness everywhere else. Then she noticed her companions and smiled fondly at each of them, both chilly Volkihar women pressed up against her. Strelka smiled and brushed a fond kiss to the crown of Serana's head then Valerica's also.
"I love you, Volkihars," she murmured, drawing the furs up over them all and falling back into a dream-less sleep.
At one point she was vaguely aware of shifting next to her, a soft brush of lips to her forehead and Valerica's rich voice in her ear, that sent a warm shiver down her spine. That voice had always had an effect on her, even when Valerica was chastising her in the Soul Cairn so long ago. She could listen to Valerica read anything and everything no matter the topic or length, and the resonance and power in her voice would hold Strelka's attention in a vice like grip with ease.
"Thank you, Strelka," the older vampire whispered. "Recover soon!" Strelka felt the furs being wrapped in closer then vaguely registered that Valerica had departed, before slipping back into mesmerized slumber.
Some time later Strelka woke again, this time more rested, her thoughts less fog-ridden. Her eyes blinked slowly open to reveal once again the dancing firelight above, the dimly lit room with the fire's cozy glow tinting everything a friendly yellow-orange.
She became aware again of her companion and looked down, smiling with fondness and love at Serana's form peacefully breathing next to her, pressed into the crook of her arm. She leant down and kissed Serana's forehead with a smile.
Stirring at the touch, Serana sleepily mumbled. "Mmmm... What day is it?"
"Serana day," Strelka replied softly with a fond smile.
"Thank you," Serana replied, pulling Strelka closer and shifting to a slightly more comfortable and closer position.
"You're very welcome, my princess," Strelka responded, gazing with affection at the woman pressed against her. Smiling with happiness she started to idly play with Serana's hair again, tracing fingertips along the braids, stroking loose strands off her cheek.
"You're doing it again," Serana mumbled into Strelka's chest, still drowsy but stirring into wakefulness. "What is it this time?"
"Love," Strelka replied, and kissed the crown of her head again, reaching her arm down to press Serana close.
"Mmm. That's nice. Can I sleep a little more though? Saving you was exhausting!"
"Yes of course, and thank you," Strelka chuckled and rested her cheek against the Nord's dark strands, sighing deeply with a happy smile on her lips. Within a few minutes she'd dozed off again herself.
Later that day, the three women sat in the castle keep, a bottle of wine being shared between them.
"Well, this toast seems a bit lackluster given what we just accomplished, but it's the spirit that matters," Valerica said, standing and raising her goblet. "To us, for overcoming a dangerous foe, and to you my daughter, for your bravery in fighting for your freedom! To Serana Day!"
"To Serana Day!" Serana and Strelka cheered, also raising their goblets. "Although, Mother, it's your day too!" Serana added.
"Perhaps, Serana, but I'm not entirely sure I want to think of it as Volkihar Day..."
"I for one think that's a splendid idea," Strelka chimed in. "You were both there at the time, it affected you both, and you were both instrumental in our recent actions. To Volkihar Day!" Strelka beamed at them both.
"Ah, you flatter me, Strelka!" Valerica said with a smile. "How did you ever find such a charmer, Serana! And what did we do to deserve her attentions?"
"I don't know Mother, but she can keep sweet talking me till I go deaf!" Serana replied, grinning at Strelka and wrapping herself around the elf's arm. Strelka chuckled at the attention, before returning to her seat.
"Sorry about your leg, Valerica," Strelka turned to the older woman, seriousness in her tone now. "I... I hope it heals quickly."
"Oh Strelka, your humility is adorable! I almost killed you with that mace! My leg is fine, just a faint scar now. Here is your dagger by the way. Quite a savage little thing isn't it?" Valerica gingerly passed the weapon - its blade alone longer than her forearm - to its owner.
"Thank you. I'm still curious though, how did you finally destroy the altar?"
"Mother threw the block of stone at it," Serana grinned.
"The one that almost crushed you?" Strelka replied, astonished.
"The very same!" replied Valerica proudly. "Hair of the Deathhound that bit you, and all that sort of thing. Serana and I were having limited luck with the mace - it just wasn't heavy enough. So in a fit of revenge I picked up the block that was just pushed from my body, and dropped it on the bust. Serana helped by healing my broken ribs while I worked. It took a few attempts but eventually we succeeded, and that's when we came to assist you. Luckily you weren't as far gone as we'd feared."
"Apparently not. Thank you both for your efforts to restore me!" Strelka reached across and took both of their hands, squeezing tightly in appreciation. "What has happened to the bust?"
"I threw it into the Sea of Ghosts," Serana said with an evil grin. Seemed like a good place to be rid of it!"
"Haha, yes, "agreed Strelka." Good luck to him and his Summoning Day at the bottom of the ocean! May his presence never be felt in Skyrim again!"
Some days later, when all three women had fully recovered and Strelka and Serana had returned to Whiterun, the pair of them were in the Temple of Kynareth, kneeling in prayer to the Lady.
'Thank you, Lady Kynareth, for giving me the opportunity and strength to protect, save and heal my friend from her ordeal.'
Strelka had wanted to give her thanks to the Lady, for all the courage she'd managed to find in their recent endeavors to help heal Serana's heart. She opened her eyes, glancing to Serana, also head bowed.
Serana straightened up, opened her eyes and glanced back to Strelka, smiling as she caught the elf's eye. Strelka reached out her hand and Serana took it with a squeeze of love and affection.
The warmth that flared in her chest told Strelka that the Lady had heard her prayer and answered, and seeing Serana's eyes momentarily widening in surprise she knew her lover had prayed for the same thing, and been answered in kind.
As they left the temple, Serana paused, and stared thoughtfully into the distance.
"Serana?" Strelka turned, noticing with concern that her lover was no longer at her side. Anxiety started to creep into her consciousness that their recent efforts had been in vain. "Are you OK? What's on your mind?"
Smiling radiantly, even in the bright afternoon Whiterun sun, Serana turned to Strelka.
"You!" she said, glowing with happiness.