“I know,” said Delphine, gritting her teeth, not looking pleased but not seeing many options. “Let me think about this. Elisif. You're on the guest list for those parties Elenwen throws on a regular basis, right?”
“Yes, but – oh no,” Elisif protested. “Oh no, I am not going to one and infiltrating the Embassy that way, no way!”
“No, no,” Delphine reassured her. “You'll be there all right, as yourself, but you won't have to do anything terribly dangerous or illegal. You'll just be there to cause a distraction while someone else does the sneaking around.”
“And who's that going to be? You?” Elisif asked. Delphine seemed to find that hilarious.
“No, that would be worse than you doing it. I'd attract the wrong kind of attention. No, you leave that to me. I have an old contact who can probably find me someone. You just get that Horn back to the Greybeards then get yourself back to Solitude. Have a break from dragonslaying, just be a Jarl for a bit. Then go to that Thalmor party and be prepared to cause a distraction for whoever I'm able to get. Don't know who that'll be exactly, but anyone who comes up to you and mentions the 30th of Frostfall, that's your guy. Or girl.”
“30th of Frostfall, right,” Elisif repeated to herself. “All right. I'll let you organise it all. Just know that I can't be implicated in this in any way. A distraction, fine. But other than that, your agent is on their own.”
Delphine nodded, understanding. “Don't worry, I know the score,” Delphine promised. “Your reputation shall remain above reproach. I'll see you again after all this goes down with whatever I learned. Aela, make sure she gets home all right, hmm?”
With that, Delphine was gone, sprinting south, presumably headed for Riverwood to plot out her next move. Elisif sidled up to Aela, finally free to discuss Delphine rather more frankly.
“Aela,” Elisif began. “What did we just sign up to?”
“We?” Aela queried as they made for Dawnstar. “You're going to be taking this one on, not me. After I've got you to High Hrothgar and back, and packed you off to Solitude, I'm going back to Whiterun for a bit. I need to make sure Kodlak's managing – with the twins away and Skjor gone, I can't leave Jorrvaskr for long.”
Understandable, although Elisif had to wonder just how long this mysterious job of theirs in Eastmarch was going on for. She'd miss Aela though. She'd miss the whole travelling experience. Going back to Solitude and waiting for something to happen felt an awful lot like prison bars descending around her again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bored. Bored. Bored. Three days back in Solitude and already Elisif was ready to stab her eyes out for something to do. There'd been the settling in, a long hot bath, decent meal, an excellent night's sleep in her own bed – then back to Jarling. Or at least, trying to. That was if Falk would let her actually make a decision ever.
After getting her cleaned and mended armour and her sharpened weapons back off Beirand (and heading down there in person had been a battle in itself), she'd taken to wearing her armour while presiding at court, circlet on her head and ebony war axe at her waist. Much to Falk's displeasure.
“My Jarl, is it strictly necessary to wear that in your courtroom? No one's going to assassinate you here.”
“Torygg thought the same and look at him,” Elisif snapped, hoping that would shut him up. Not this time, it appeared.
“Ulfric isn't coming here to challenge you, Jarl,” said Falk gently, as if he was talking to a frightened child, and Elisif felt that dragon rage building up again, the urge to send a Shout his way and teach him the error of his ways. “There's no need to be afraid.”
“I'm not afraid!” Elisif shouted. “Ulfric's the one who should be afraid!”
She could swear Falk actually flinched away, and out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Erikur smirking and whispering something to that Altmer bodyguard of his, Melaran. She took a deep breath to calm down and reminded herself she was not actually allowed to kill her thanes or her steward without good cause and evidence of serious wrongdoing. More was the pity.
“Of course he should be,” Falk said, regaining his composure. “I'm sure General Tullius will bring him to justice soon.”
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timeasmymeasure
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 6.4
Date: 2013-09-28 09:22 am (UTC)“Yes, but – oh no,” Elisif protested. “Oh no, I am not going to one and infiltrating the Embassy that way, no way!”
“No, no,” Delphine reassured her. “You'll be there all right, as yourself, but you won't have to do anything terribly dangerous or illegal. You'll just be there to cause a distraction while someone else does the sneaking around.”
“And who's that going to be? You?” Elisif asked. Delphine seemed to find that hilarious.
“No, that would be worse than you doing it. I'd attract the wrong kind of attention. No, you leave that to me. I have an old contact who can probably find me someone. You just get that Horn back to the Greybeards then get yourself back to Solitude. Have a break from dragonslaying, just be a Jarl for a bit. Then go to that Thalmor party and be prepared to cause a distraction for whoever I'm able to get. Don't know who that'll be exactly, but anyone who comes up to you and mentions the 30th of Frostfall, that's your guy. Or girl.”
“30th of Frostfall, right,” Elisif repeated to herself. “All right. I'll let you organise it all. Just know that I can't be implicated in this in any way. A distraction, fine. But other than that, your agent is on their own.”
Delphine nodded, understanding. “Don't worry, I know the score,” Delphine promised. “Your reputation shall remain above reproach. I'll see you again after all this goes down with whatever I learned. Aela, make sure she gets home all right, hmm?”
With that, Delphine was gone, sprinting south, presumably headed for Riverwood to plot out her next move. Elisif sidled up to Aela, finally free to discuss Delphine rather more frankly.
“Aela,” Elisif began. “What did we just sign up to?”
“We?” Aela queried as they made for Dawnstar. “You're going to be taking this one on, not me. After I've got you to High Hrothgar and back, and packed you off to Solitude, I'm going back to Whiterun for a bit. I need to make sure Kodlak's managing – with the twins away and Skjor gone, I can't leave Jorrvaskr for long.”
Understandable, although Elisif had to wonder just how long this mysterious job of theirs in Eastmarch was going on for. She'd miss Aela though. She'd miss the whole travelling experience. Going back to Solitude and waiting for something to happen felt an awful lot like prison bars descending around her again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bored. Bored. Bored. Three days back in Solitude and already Elisif was ready to stab her eyes out for something to do. There'd been the settling in, a long hot bath, decent meal, an excellent night's sleep in her own bed – then back to Jarling. Or at least, trying to. That was if Falk would let her actually make a decision ever.
After getting her cleaned and mended armour and her sharpened weapons back off Beirand (and heading down there in person had been a battle in itself), she'd taken to wearing her armour while presiding at court, circlet on her head and ebony war axe at her waist. Much to Falk's displeasure.
“My Jarl, is it strictly necessary to wear that in your courtroom? No one's going to assassinate you here.”
“Torygg thought the same and look at him,” Elisif snapped, hoping that would shut him up. Not this time, it appeared.
“Ulfric isn't coming here to challenge you, Jarl,” said Falk gently, as if he was talking to a frightened child, and Elisif felt that dragon rage building up again, the urge to send a Shout his way and teach him the error of his ways. “There's no need to be afraid.”
“I'm not afraid!” Elisif shouted. “Ulfric's the one who should be afraid!”
She could swear Falk actually flinched away, and out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Erikur smirking and whispering something to that Altmer bodyguard of his, Melaran. She took a deep breath to calm down and reminded herself she was not actually allowed to kill her thanes or her steward without good cause and evidence of serious wrongdoing. More was the pity.
“Of course he should be,” Falk said, regaining his composure. “I'm sure General Tullius will bring him to justice soon.”