Ena glances at her sister, torn, and unsure what path she should take.

It's not, actually, that easy a choice - Lianda will still be at risk, there's bound to be a catch, Lianda might now try to kill her - but Ena wants it, desperately, wants immortality and power and everything promises. Besides, Lianda has to forgive her eventually, right?

"I accept," Ena says, showing no sign of her hesitance.

The man smiles, something cruel in his eyes, even as Lianda whips around, clearly furious, hand on the hilt of her sword. "Very well," the man says. "I see you each have chosen a different path." He gestures, and a spell hits Lianda, causing her to crumple.

Ena doesn't flinch. Just continues to face him, expression blank, as he has his lackeys take Lianda back to Skyrim's shore.

"Now - for your reward - " He strides forwards, grabs her, and bites - her shoulder, her body, explodes in pain, and the world spins until she sinks into the depths.

She wakes up, she doesn't know how much later, sore. Her hand goes to her shoulder, but it's fully healed, and there's -

It's dim. There's no light sources in the room. But she can see perfectly well.

Ena grins, stands, and goes to find her hosts.

Lianda, when she wakes, invents several new curses - and reuses a few old ones. This isn't the first time her sister's pulled shit, but… Lianda had thought she'd grown up.

She stands, glares at the distant mists hiding the castle, and stalks off.

At least she can move faster on her own.

She stops by Meridia's Shrine on her way back to the main road - it adds time, but she needs to warn them about the powerful vampires to their north. She doesn't mention Ena's betrayal. She also makes use of their courier - faster than the messengers she'll be able to find in Solitude, and more loyal to her - to send a message first to Lydia (this time warning of Ena), then to High Hrothgar (requesting information on the Elder Scrolls), and then at last to the Dawnguard (about the vampires, and the Elder Scroll, and that she'll return once she's finished her tasks in the area - which hopefully won't be long).

But the question about what her tasks are remains.

She promised the Jarl she'd investigate Markarth, and the city's fall is of regional if not continental importance.

The vampires are an unknown threat - certainly to Skyrim, for all that they haven't been as deadly as the war or the dragons yet, and possibly to Tamriel if their ambitions reach high enough.

It'll be hard, handling them both at once - Markarth's in another direction entirely from Riften, and demanding the Dawnguard come out to meet her will stretch thin her already tenuous reputation amidst them. If she goes to the Dawnguard, she'll likely lose her ability to steer anything happening in Markarth at all.

What's more, the Dark Brotherhood is a lingering threat - and she needs to handle them sooner rather than later.

Serana's lurking outside the room when Ena leaves. She nods to Ena and straightens.

"Hey there," Serana says. "I volunteered to show you the ropes, somewhat. Father's… Interested, but I wasn't sure you wanted to be talking to him too much."

Ena shakes her head. "Distance is appreciated. And… Thanks, for the whole - " She waves her hand to encompass 'lying' and 'giving me this opportunity.'

"No problem." Serana inclines her head, and starts walking. "The old cathedral's probably the best place to practice. High ceilings, and all that."

"Right," Ena says, and follows.

Learning the Vampire Lord form is… Interesting. It's not as nimble as her usual body, doesn't turn as well, she can't really sneak - but it's powerful. A melee option, at a minimum, if she's ever caught out in a battle. And even outside of it, all her senses are keener, it's almost second nature to shift so she's quieter when walking, she's marginally faster, spells are easier…

"So what's the deal with this whole - clan?" Ena asks between sparring bouts.

Serana shrugs, clearly a bit uncomfortable. "We were some of the first vampires. Turned by Molag Bal. It was… Unpleasant, to say the least. Father then turned others - there've been other Vampire Lords created from the source, but none of them agreed to follow Father, so we're at odds with them. Father's been building this court for a while - there's some new faces since I was here last, and some old ones are gone, so… I'd have trouble, speaking to modern politics. Though honestly I prefer to stay out of all that."

Ena snorts. "Politics are horrible. Only thing I need to know is who's likely to want who dead."

"Well, that's quite a lot of what's here. Different factions jockeying for power." Serana's voice is a bit bitter.

Ena doesn't know how to push that to get more information. Prying might not be the best right now, anyways.

"Hammerfell was like that," she says instead. "Or at least our part of it. Every last one of the noble houses was constantly looking for ways to backstab each other - and even within them. It's a miracle it took this long for me and Lianda to end up on opposite sides, really, mom did her best to encourage us to tear into each other…"

"Sounds charming. I suppose she had some justification?" Serana asks, with a twist to her lips.

"Probably. Never bothered asking. Just - left." Ena shrugs. "She's lucky she didn't try to stop me."

Serana hums. "Your sister's an interesting person. Most people wouldn't volunteer to help their sworn enemy."

Ena laughs, bitterly. "Interesting, definitely." There's an uneasy feeling in her gut - she still doesn't really trust Lianda not to do something stupid or get herself killed. This power was probably worth it, but - Ena's the sort who likes to have her cake and eat it, too.

She'll just have to keep her ears open. Possibly use this turn of fortune to gain more influence in the Dark Brotherhood, assuming she decides to return to them at all.

Serana lets her think for a bit, until a messenger appears in the doorway. The messenger clears his throat awkwardly, then straightens when both women turn to look at him. "My ladies!" he says. "A message from Lord Harkon, for the newest member of our court."

Ena raises an eyebrow, says, "Speak," in her most haughty noble tone.

"There is something of interest to the clan. Speak to Garan Marethi, and let him know that it is time," says the messenger.

"Very well. You are dismissed," Ena says, lowly, and turns to Serana. Once he leaves, she asks, "Any idea what that's about?"

Serana shakes her head. "No clue. As I said earlier, it's been a while."

Ena sighs. "Well, no time like the present. Guess I'll see you later?"

"Sure. Doubt I'll be going anywhere for awhile," Serana says, voice light, and waves her off.

The mission Garan Marethi has is to find a skooma den, fill a magic chalice, and return. Grunt work. Not particularly surprising. The Brotherhood's had her on similar missions.

Speaking of…

There's the question of whether she should bother returning to the assassins. She doubts the vampires are at all pressed for time - the way Marethi talked he wouldn't be surprised if she took a year to show back up - so she has time. But… She's not sure she wants to reentangle herself.

On the advantages side, it'll be a good way to monitor or influence the hunt for Lianda from afar. It'll give her allies outside the vampires, in case she ever needs it. It'll give her something interesting to do with her time, and quite frankly the assassins are easier to bear than the vampires.

On the disadvantages side, it's a time sink. Astrid might suspect her, and Ena's more confident about her abilities in a fight, but not that confident. It's not extremely out of her way, but it is a minor detour, and she'll want to have a few completed contracts in hand when she does return.

Still…

Lianda decides she needs to keep her promise to the Jarl - the Dawnguard can take care of themselves. The Forsworn might not.

And…

It's time to stop skulking around. She needs to confront Babette.

Of course, she'll have to find the vampire. Still, that shouldn't be too hard…

It's a month to Markarth, if she keeps to the roads. Potentially half that, if she cuts cross-country - which is riskier, but she's in a mood to move fast, and with her thu'um she can jump the otherwise inaccessible ravines that make the route difficult for most. Risks losing Babette, but time to establish herself in Markarth won't hurt.

She doesn't spot the vampire during her journey. She makes good time, and meets no delay, though she sees figures mounted on elk-like creatures in the distance a few times. Forsworn outriders.

Ten days after leaving Meridia's Shrine, she arrives at the beginning of the farms and mines sprawling outside Markarth. There's a few people who still remember her from her time in the Reach three years ago, and she's able to easily secure a bed for the night in a farmhouse - and, more valuable to her, gossip.

"I'm investigating what's going on - on my own merits, but also for the Jarl of Solitude," Lianda says, quietly to her host, a woman named Eirny.

Eirny's face is pale, and her eyes are haggard. "I don't know we want interference," she says after several long moments. "Nothing's gone too south - though Vigdis hasn't heard word of her daughter, and she was so proud when she got that clerk position…" Eirny pauses, catches a sob. "But I've already lost my husband and three children to these damnable wars. Aithne… She swore to remain neutral. No more burying family."

"It's a tempting promise," Lianda acknowledges. "What else has she communicated?"

"That anyone who doesn't betray her won't be harmed. I don't know what she means by 'betray', but it doesn't seem to include grumbling - the Silverbloods've been talking angrily enough about her, and not a single one of them's been killed who weren't in the Keep that first night." Eirny leans forwards, rubs at her face. "Been telling my four living kids not to make trouble, though. Three of 'em are teens. Made for trouble, at that age. The oldest… She'll be old enough to fight, soon. I don't want that for them, even if it means rolling over. You understand, right?"

Lianda nods. "My children are all younger, but I know the impulse."

Eirny lets out a ragged sigh. "I don't know much more'n the announcements, or what's been gossip. We're most've a day out, still."

"Have the Forsworn in the area been kind or cruel?" Lianda asks - one measure of a leader is how her troops behave.

Eirny shakes her head. "Hard to say. Cold, almost. Like they're waiting to be mean and something's got them scared stiff a'it."

"Tough leaders, possibly." Lianda leans back. "I'll try talking to a few, see what I can see. Won't mention you helped me, of course, in case of trouble."

"Thank you," Eirny says. "I'd help regardless, you've done so much good, but… I don't want them looking at me more'n they have to."

"It's no problem at all," Lianda says, and lets the conversation drift on.

She doesn't find out anything else of note, and arrives at Markarth's gates the evening of the next day. There's four guards, all Forsworn, one keeping an eye on the stablehands, though all of their gazes snap to Lianda when it's clear she's approaching.

"Halt!" one calls. "No outsiders are being allowed in the city."

She pauses, raises an eyebrow. "I have business," she says.

"Any mercantile activities can be conducted in the market square in Markarth Side," the same guard replies, his voice harsh.

"In the city specifically," she clarifies. "There are those I need to talk to - your leader among them."

"Our leader does not meet with strangers off the street - " the guard continues, eyes narrowed.

He's interrupted by a laugh from the guard tower, and the small metal door there opening. "Lianda!" a voice calls.