Maybe you could outwit him. Maybe your steel was sharper than his claws. But his eyes gleamed with cunning, and his strength was limitless, and he would fight until the last breath had left his lungs. His voice didn’t need Thu’um to change the world.
Dyce refused to be cowed.
“I am the Dragonborn!” Dyce roared back. “And I have accepted what that means.” And it had hurt. “And when I say this war will end it will end! I slew the World Eater. I have the right. I earned it in Sovngarde!”
“And what was a Breton doing in Sovngarde?” Ulfric growled, turning away in disgust.
“I don’t know.” Dyce shrugged, “I don’t know, Jarl Ulfric. What difference does it make?”
“Skyrim is our homeland. It belongs to the Nords. Sovngarde-”
“Like hell! I have fought and killed and bled for-” Dyce broke off. “Huh. I didn’t come here to debate race politics with you, Ulfric. I came here to ask you if you were a damned traitor.”
Ulfric watched him through eyes narrowed against the cold and snow. “Well, things have changed since the peace conference.” He looked back out to sea. “I am not a traitor. Whatever is in here, is irrelevant now. I will see every Thalmor in Skyrim - in all of Tamriel - put to the sword.”
“Your hatred of the Thalmor is not in question,” Dyce said. “I’m concerned about potential vulnerabilities. Why did you do it, Ulfric? Why do they think they could make you do it again if they had to?”
“Things have changed since that was written,” he said. “I am no longer an asset. They know what kind of response they will get if they dare to try and contact me now; their messenger's head in a box.”
“Those are assurances, not an explanation,” Dyce said.
“You would have all my secrets, Dragonborn? Are these scars not enough?” When Dyce didn’t answer he continued. “Say you are satisfied with my explanation; will you swear loyalty to me and our cause?”
That was the question, wasn’t it?
“Yes,” Dyce said. “If I didn’t think the Empire’s appeasement was nothing more than a doomed attempt to buy time I wouldn’t be here.”
Ulfric turned his head and raised an eyebrow.
“I don’t like the Thalmor either,” Dyce pointed out. “I’ve seen what’s under the embassy. I rescued the unfortunate sods they had locked up in there.”
Ulfric actually looked impressed. “That explained Elenwen’s expression at the peace conference,” he murmured.
“I know what they’re trying to do. Talos is only the first step. I have a friend,” Dyce continued. “I rescued him. Underneath it all he was a really good mer. He was so lonely.” He looked up and met Ulfric’s gaze, “I’ll keep your secrets, my Jarl.”
“I believe you’d try. But there are no secrets they cannot prise from your mind. The harder you grip - I can’t even remember telling them, but they knew. They let me escape so I could see.” He was looking out at the snow, but Dyce was sure he couldn’t see it.
“What did they know?” Dyce asked.
“You will swear your life to me,” Ulfric said. “Or I will take it. Please let this be enough. Not even Galmar knows.” He turned his head and looked at Dyce.
Dyce set his jaw and raised his head, waiting.
Ulfric sighed. “So be it. I have a daughter.”
~~~ A/N: This is nowhere near finished being written. So tags so far would be:
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timeasmymeasure
What's a Thief to a King? M!DB/Ulfric 3/?? +some tags
Date: 2013-02-07 02:09 am (UTC)Dyce refused to be cowed.
“I am the Dragonborn!” Dyce roared back. “And I have accepted what that means.” And it had hurt. “And when I say this war will end it will end! I slew the World Eater. I have the right. I earned it in Sovngarde!”
“And what was a Breton doing in Sovngarde?” Ulfric growled, turning away in disgust.
“I don’t know.” Dyce shrugged, “I don’t know, Jarl Ulfric. What difference does it make?”
“Skyrim is our homeland. It belongs to the Nords. Sovngarde-”
“Like hell! I have fought and killed and bled for-” Dyce broke off. “Huh. I didn’t come here to debate race politics with you, Ulfric. I came here to ask you if you were a damned traitor.”
Ulfric watched him through eyes narrowed against the cold and snow. “Well, things have changed since the peace conference.” He looked back out to sea. “I am not a traitor. Whatever is in here, is irrelevant now. I will see every Thalmor in Skyrim - in all of Tamriel - put to the sword.”
“Your hatred of the Thalmor is not in question,” Dyce said. “I’m concerned about potential vulnerabilities. Why did you do it, Ulfric? Why do they think they could make you do it again if they had to?”
“Things have changed since that was written,” he said. “I am no longer an asset. They know what kind of response they will get if they dare to try and contact me now; their messenger's head in a box.”
“Those are assurances, not an explanation,” Dyce said.
“You would have all my secrets, Dragonborn? Are these scars not enough?” When Dyce didn’t answer he continued. “Say you are satisfied with my explanation; will you swear loyalty to me and our cause?”
That was the question, wasn’t it?
“Yes,” Dyce said. “If I didn’t think the Empire’s appeasement was nothing more than a doomed attempt to buy time I wouldn’t be here.”
Ulfric turned his head and raised an eyebrow.
“I don’t like the Thalmor either,” Dyce pointed out. “I’ve seen what’s under the embassy. I rescued the unfortunate sods they had locked up in there.”
Ulfric actually looked impressed. “That explained Elenwen’s expression at the peace conference,” he murmured.
“I know what they’re trying to do. Talos is only the first step. I have a friend,” Dyce continued. “I rescued him. Underneath it all he was a really good mer. He was so lonely.” He looked up and met Ulfric’s gaze, “I’ll keep your secrets, my Jarl.”
“I believe you’d try. But there are no secrets they cannot prise from your mind. The harder you grip - I can’t even remember telling them, but they knew. They let me escape so I could see.” He was looking out at the snow, but Dyce was sure he couldn’t see it.
“What did they know?” Dyce asked.
“You will swear your life to me,” Ulfric said. “Or I will take it. Please let this be enough. Not even Galmar knows.” He turned his head and looked at Dyce.
Dyce set his jaw and raised his head, waiting.
Ulfric sighed. “So be it. I have a daughter.”
~~~
A/N: This is nowhere near finished being written. So tags so far would be:
char:M!DB char:Ulfric Stormcloak relationship:slash kink:angst series:dyce