“We can do this,” said Jordis, assessing the situation. “Ria and I will just walk past, while you sneak over to the left by that cave. I think you can climb down that way, get out into the wilderness. It's your best chance, Maia.”
“It's not that good, I think there's bears over there!” Elisif hissed back.
“They're not as bad as the Bear over there,” said Ria, reaching for her sword. “Go, sneak off now!”
This seemed extremely unheroic to Elisif, but what choice did she have? Dropping into a sneak pose, she crept off while Jordis and Ria strolled towards the bridge.
Three Stormcloaks emerged from the bushes in front of her, bows drawn, while three more emerged from the river. More had gathered on the bridge, and while Jordis and Ria had weapons drawn, they were outnumbered. Elisif got to her feet, shaking all over but determined not to show her fear.
“What do you want?” she demanded, trying to sound calm. “I am a law-abiding citizen with no bounty in the Rift!”
From behind her, a voice she'd never wanted to hear again.
“Law-abiding and bountyless I can believe, but not citizen. Show your face to me, Elisif. I want to know if the rumours are true. I can't believe you'd be here of all places without the Empire's troops at your back if they weren't.”
Slowly, ever so slowly, fear and rage warring inside her in equal measure, Elisif turned around to where her husband's murderer was approaching, Galmar at his back and a few other guards she didn't recognise.
“Stay away from me,” Elisif hissed, reaching for her axe. “I'm warning you, Ulfric.”
“Brave words,” Ulfric laughed. “You're a true Nord, I can respect that. And Dragonborn, I can respect that too. But you're outnumbered and I refuse to believe the Greybeards made you a master of the Thu'um in the short time you've been up there.” He was striding forward, and the son of a bitch had the nerve to actually smile at her. “Elisif. Why so hostile? I don't mean you harm.”
“You murdered my husband,” Elisif snapped. “I have nothing to say to you.”
“He lost, Elisif,” Ulfric shrugged. “It happens. He died honourably, you should take comfort from that.”
“What would you know of honour, traitor?” Elisif hissed and that did get to him. His smile faded as rage twisted his face.
“And what would you know about power, girl?” he spat. “You, with the power of a dragon? A pathetic, weak Imperial puppet, dancing to the tune of the Legion and having a good time at Elenwen's parties while true Nords suffer for worshipping their own gods? You don't even believe in Talos and yet you were given the Dragonborn gift?”
“Jealous?” Elisif couldn't help but ask, and he was, he clearly was, he was clearly outraged beyond all reason that she'd been given the Dragon blood and not him, which as far as Elisif was concerned was clear proof he was the last person in Skyrim who should be allowed to have it. Ulfric gritted his teeth and he was clearly close to losing his temper.
“Of you? Hardly,” he growled. “But I can see you're not the weakling I thought, if you do have the gift. So I'm offering you this chance. Join me, Elisif. Save your country with me. We can take on the Empire, with the Dragonborn Queen by my side, I can rally our kinsmen and lead us to victory. We can do this, Elisif. I'll take back Solitude for you, you can be High Queen in truth. Just come to Windhelm with me.”
Well wasn't that nice of him. The only problem was, if she was Queen that meant he wouldn't be King. Unless...
“Oh gods,” she whispered, horrified at the mere idea of marrying Ulfric Stormcloak. “No. Absolutely not. Never, Ulfric, never, I am never allying with you!”
“That's a pity,” Ulfric said, his voice devoid of emotion. “I had hoped to take you willingly. You would have had a much easier time of it. Men, take her. Remember, I want her alive!”
Jordis and Ria had their weapons drawn, and Elisif drew both her axes, ready to die rather than be taken prisoner to suffer whatever fate Ulfric had in store for her. Better Sovngarde than a Stormcloak prison cell... or Ulfric Stormcloak's bed and honestly, Elisif would take the prison cell any day given the choice.
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 4.4
“It's not that good, I think there's bears over there!” Elisif hissed back.
“They're not as bad as the Bear over there,” said Ria, reaching for her sword. “Go, sneak off now!”
This seemed extremely unheroic to Elisif, but what choice did she have? Dropping into a sneak pose, she crept off while Jordis and Ria strolled towards the bridge.
Three Stormcloaks emerged from the bushes in front of her, bows drawn, while three more emerged from the river. More had gathered on the bridge, and while Jordis and Ria had weapons drawn, they were outnumbered. Elisif got to her feet, shaking all over but determined not to show her fear.
“What do you want?” she demanded, trying to sound calm. “I am a law-abiding citizen with no bounty in the Rift!”
From behind her, a voice she'd never wanted to hear again.
“Law-abiding and bountyless I can believe, but not citizen. Show your face to me, Elisif. I want to know if the rumours are true. I can't believe you'd be here of all places without the Empire's troops at your back if they weren't.”
Slowly, ever so slowly, fear and rage warring inside her in equal measure, Elisif turned around to where her husband's murderer was approaching, Galmar at his back and a few other guards she didn't recognise.
“Stay away from me,” Elisif hissed, reaching for her axe. “I'm warning you, Ulfric.”
“Brave words,” Ulfric laughed. “You're a true Nord, I can respect that. And Dragonborn, I can respect that too. But you're outnumbered and I refuse to believe the Greybeards made you a master of the Thu'um in the short time you've been up there.” He was striding forward, and the son of a bitch had the nerve to actually smile at her. “Elisif. Why so hostile? I don't mean you harm.”
“You murdered my husband,” Elisif snapped. “I have nothing to say to you.”
“He lost, Elisif,” Ulfric shrugged. “It happens. He died honourably, you should take comfort from that.”
“What would you know of honour, traitor?” Elisif hissed and that did get to him. His smile faded as rage twisted his face.
“And what would you know about power, girl?” he spat. “You, with the power of a dragon? A pathetic, weak Imperial puppet, dancing to the tune of the Legion and having a good time at Elenwen's parties while true Nords suffer for worshipping their own gods? You don't even believe in Talos and yet you were given the Dragonborn gift?”
“Jealous?” Elisif couldn't help but ask, and he was, he clearly was, he was clearly outraged beyond all reason that she'd been given the Dragon blood and not him, which as far as Elisif was concerned was clear proof he was the last person in Skyrim who should be allowed to have it. Ulfric gritted his teeth and he was clearly close to losing his temper.
“Of you? Hardly,” he growled. “But I can see you're not the weakling I thought, if you do have the gift. So I'm offering you this chance. Join me, Elisif. Save your country with me. We can take on the Empire, with the Dragonborn Queen by my side, I can rally our kinsmen and lead us to victory. We can do this, Elisif. I'll take back Solitude for you, you can be High Queen in truth. Just come to Windhelm with me.”
Well wasn't that nice of him. The only problem was, if she was Queen that meant he wouldn't be King. Unless...
“Oh gods,” she whispered, horrified at the mere idea of marrying Ulfric Stormcloak. “No. Absolutely not. Never, Ulfric, never, I am never allying with you!”
“That's a pity,” Ulfric said, his voice devoid of emotion. “I had hoped to take you willingly. You would have had a much easier time of it. Men, take her. Remember, I want her alive!”
Jordis and Ria had their weapons drawn, and Elisif drew both her axes, ready to die rather than be taken prisoner to suffer whatever fate Ulfric had in store for her. Better Sovngarde than a Stormcloak prison cell... or Ulfric Stormcloak's bed and honestly, Elisif would take the prison cell any day given the choice.