How to Shout. She'd seen Shouting before, when Ulfric had come and challenged Torygg and... He'd Shouted then, misused everything the Greybeards had taught him, and then the sword had come plunging down on her helpless husband as Falk and Bolgeir had held her back while she'd screamed. Ulfric had stood back, looking satisfied after butchering a man less than half his age, and he'd glanced at her, shrugged and just said that the price for freedom was a high one. A high one! He'd not been the one paying it. She'd lunged at him, but not been able to break free and a good thing too or she'd have been joining Torygg in Sovngarde. She almost wished she had.
Shouting. The power of the Thu'um. It was said to take years to learn even a single word of it. Years, and yet she'd learnt a word off a wall ages ago and just unlocked it in seconds today without even knowing she was doing it. In five minutes she'd learnt a third of what Ulfric knew, and he'd been at High Hrothgar for years.
“I could learn to Shout,” she said, the fear subsiding. “Like... like Ulfric.”
“Hopefully not like him!” Falk said firmly. “But yes, that's the general idea. You take the souls of dead dragons and use them to Shout with.”
Like Ulfric. No, better than Ulfric. Elisif knew then what she had to do.
Falk was still talking, staring off into space.
“Don't worry, Elisif, we can take care of the dragon-killing for you,” he was saying. “I'll talk to General Tullius, get him to spare the men to go dragon-hunting. They can kill the beasts then you can walk in and take the souls.”
“No.” Elisif sat up, not even sure where this determination was coming from, but if she didn't stand up for herself over this, she'd be a slave for life, she just knew it.
“What do you mean, no? You can't possibly mean to start fighting dragons by yourself!”
“I mean to do exactly that!” Elisif snapped. “No dragon relies on others to kill her foes for her!”
“Elisif, you're not a -” Falk began, now completely confused, but the look on Elisif's face stopped him.
“I'm going to need my armour, the good set,” said Elisif, mentally cataloguing the contents of her armoury. “And that ebony war axe with the fire enchantment on it. Get me a sword too, ebony or glass if possible. Suppose I should take a bow and arrows too – decent set of those please, and a big batch of low-end arrows – I never was any good at archery, I imagine I'll miss a lot. Also some healing and stamina potions and some fire resistance potions, and I want five hundred septims from the treasury. And another five hundred set by in case that runs out. And some food as well. And tell Sybille I want to see her before I go.”
“Go?” said Falk, looking a bit frantic. “Go where? High Hrothgar?”
“Initially, yes, but after that, who knows?” said Elisif, shrugging. “Depends what the Greybeards tell me.”
“Skyrim needs me!” Elisif sighed. “There's dragons attacking everywhere and it seems I'm the only one that can stop them. You don't need me here, Falk, you can keep this city going quite well without me for a bit.”
“Elisif, you can't just go travelling off round Skyrim!” Falk protested. “It's dangerous! Quite apart from the dragons, we're at war! If the Stormcloaks got their hands on you...!”
Elisif's eyes narrowed as she contemplated the thought of laying eyes on Ulfric again.
“If Ulfric finds me, he will find he has taken on more than he bargained for,” she said, amazed at just how calmly she was considering the possibility of smashing Ulfric's skull open with an axe. “Now if you'll excuse me, I have a country to save... and a husband to avenge.”
~~~~~~~~
A/N: Hope you like the start - I do have more written but it may be a while before I can post it.
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timeasmymeasure
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 1.4
Date: 2013-08-19 10:46 pm (UTC)Shouting. The power of the Thu'um. It was said to take years to learn even a single word of it. Years, and yet she'd learnt a word off a wall ages ago and just unlocked it in seconds today without even knowing she was doing it. In five minutes she'd learnt a third of what Ulfric knew, and he'd been at High Hrothgar for years.
“I could learn to Shout,” she said, the fear subsiding. “Like... like Ulfric.”
“Hopefully not like him!” Falk said firmly. “But yes, that's the general idea. You take the souls of dead dragons and use them to Shout with.”
Like Ulfric. No, better than Ulfric. Elisif knew then what she had to do.
Falk was still talking, staring off into space.
“Don't worry, Elisif, we can take care of the dragon-killing for you,” he was saying. “I'll talk to General Tullius, get him to spare the men to go dragon-hunting. They can kill the beasts then you can walk in and take the souls.”
“No.” Elisif sat up, not even sure where this determination was coming from, but if she didn't stand up for herself over this, she'd be a slave for life, she just knew it.
“What do you mean, no? You can't possibly mean to start fighting dragons by yourself!”
“I mean to do exactly that!” Elisif snapped. “No dragon relies on others to kill her foes for her!”
“Elisif, you're not a -” Falk began, now completely confused, but the look on Elisif's face stopped him.
“I'm going to need my armour, the good set,” said Elisif, mentally cataloguing the contents of her armoury. “And that ebony war axe with the fire enchantment on it. Get me a sword too, ebony or glass if possible. Suppose I should take a bow and arrows too – decent set of those please, and a big batch of low-end arrows – I never was any good at archery, I imagine I'll miss a lot. Also some healing and stamina potions and some fire resistance potions, and I want five hundred septims from the treasury. And another five hundred set by in case that runs out. And some food as well. And tell Sybille I want to see her before I go.”
“Go?” said Falk, looking a bit frantic. “Go where? High Hrothgar?”
“Initially, yes, but after that, who knows?” said Elisif, shrugging. “Depends what the Greybeards tell me.”
“You – you're not coming back?” Falk breathed, going pale. “But Elisif, Solitude needs you!”
“Skyrim needs me!” Elisif sighed. “There's dragons attacking everywhere and it seems I'm the only one that can stop them. You don't need me here, Falk, you can keep this city going quite well without me for a bit.”
“Elisif, you can't just go travelling off round Skyrim!” Falk protested. “It's dangerous! Quite apart from the dragons, we're at war! If the Stormcloaks got their hands on you...!”
Elisif's eyes narrowed as she contemplated the thought of laying eyes on Ulfric again.
“If Ulfric finds me, he will find he has taken on more than he bargained for,” she said, amazed at just how calmly she was considering the possibility of smashing Ulfric's skull open with an axe. “Now if you'll excuse me, I have a country to save... and a husband to avenge.”
~~~~~~~~
A/N: Hope you like the start - I do have more written but it may be a while before I can post it.