The Silence of the Thralls

It has been several days of forced inactivity for me now. I kept trying to convince Kousei that my vision had not deteriorated like Dexion's, but he would hear none of my excuses. No fighting, no shooting down enemies, no brawling, no ale (no ale?!)... until we are perfectly sure my strength had recovered. Serana was miraculously on Kousei's side for this argument, so I couldn't do much to go against the grain. Kousei did laugh, though, when I pointed out that he looked a little relieved now that Dexion had gone blind. One less rival to worry about, he said. I simply replied that the Moth Priest wasn't even close to a rival where my affections are concerned.

I'd love to regularly go back to Ancestor Glade even though it had already served its purpose in our mission. I'll admit I tried going in there even before Kousei and I joined the Dawnguard, but the powerful Spriggan Matrons guarding the entrance had always routed me beforehand. I did not expect a wondrous sight hidden in that nondescript cave, though. The heart of the Ancestor Glade was such a place of beauty that it drew a compliment from the mouth of Serana herself. 

It takes a lot to get something more than a complaint out of Serana.

After a few moments of awed silence, we got back to work regarding what we came there for. We thought we'd have a difficult time locating the knife Dexion described. Thankfully, it was just sitting conveniently on its display stand for anyone to take.

With all the bandits around, it's amazing that it hasn't been stolen yet.

I knew Kousei had a better way with plants than I did, so I thought it was only fitting for him to have the honor of harvesting bark from the Canticle Trees. Ancestor Glade has an abundance of these unusual trees, whose branches are abloom with flowers that catch the light of the sun. I had already been impressed by the Gildergreen in Whiterun (once it had recovered its former glory, at least), but it pales in comparison to the Canticle Trees.

Too pretty to touch.

Kousei was able to coax two pieces of bark from one of the trees, and he handed a piece to me. No sooner was this done when a nearby group of moths began to hover around us. Kousei stepped back. They were hovering around me, even though there were two of us holding Canticle Bark. Serana remarked that I appeared to be glowing, even though I can't see a difference in what I can view of myself. "It seems they prefer you over me," Kousei said, smiling a little. I held his hand, both as an apology and as a plea for reassurance. We had not expected that the moths would choose me, and this only meant I had to be the one to read the Elder Scrolls. Who knows what those Scrolls can do to me? He returned my hold, assuring me that the moths' behavior wasn't my fault, and that everything will be all right. He was afraid, I can see. I saw it in his eyes. But for my sake -- for our sake -- he had to keep his misgivings to himself.

Kousei on paparazzi mode.

With Kousei beside me, we walked to the other swarms of Ancestor Moths to attract enough of them so the reading could proceed. Only when I was barely visible through the cloud of moths did Kousei leave my side, and encouraged me to unravel the Scrolls' message. And so I stepped inside the path of light at the center of the glade. After taking a deep breath to quell the fear that had bubbled up from inside me, I pulled out the Scrolls one by one and began to read.

The illumination machine was still alive after all this.

The Scrolls spoke a name into my mind: Darkfall Cave. That's where we will find Auriel's Bow. I barely had time to memorize the location of this Darkfall Cave before my vision turned white. It was a miracle I could still stand, and by the time I came to, Serana and Kousei had nearly gone as pale as I. He took me into his arms at once, asking if I was all right, if I can see him. I nodded against him, before turning to Serana and answering her own questions about the Scrolls' secrets. I had just finished my anecdote about the vision when the air of the glade turned cold. Out of instinct, we all drew our weapons. Vampires and their thralls! We should have known we were followed.

At least they're not sparkling.

I was boiling with fury at Harkon's nerve to desecrate such a place as the Ancestor Glade with his foul schemes. Kousei was no less enraged. In a few seconds, he was up on one of the rocky paths with Serana, engaging the enemy head-on. I did not trust my vision to have fully recovered by then, and I was worried my arrows would hit one of my companions in my disoriented state. However, fury appears to have its advantages when it comes to homing arrows in on the enemy. I wasn't able to see much of what was happening near the top of the glade, but Kousei was able to take an illumination for me. 

"Arrow through the head" sounds cooler than "arrow in the knee".

After looting the bodies of their gold, we dragged them out of the glade and down the cliffs they went. It just seemed... wrong to let their bodies rot inside, and thus bring vile things like flies and maggots among the moths. They have disturbed the paradise enough. Reading Elder Scrolls is an experience I shall never forget, but it is not one that I would like to repeat either. I am no Moth Priest, and after my close call with blindness in the Ancestor Glade, I certainly wouldn't want to become one anytime soon.

- Kiya