“No problem,” Athis said, wiping his brow. “You just concentrate on not dying, we'll take care of the rest.” Together, both men turned and ran back into the battle, but there didn't seem to be as much going on. The death of the general seemed to have broken Stormcloak morale and there was a warhorn sounding in the distance. Legionnaires and guards were all running to the outer gates and there weren't any living Stormcloaks around.
“What's going on?” Elisif whispered, looking around. Not far away, Aela was lowering her bow, face aglow.
“That's a retreat call,” she laughed. “They're retreating. We won, Elisif, we won!”
“We – we did?” Elisif gasped. She scrambled up to the top of the walls, looking out on the Stormcloak camp, watching the few remaining Stormcloaks grabbing their things and fleeing, a few braver ones fighting a desperate rearguard action as the Whiterun defenders tore into the place.
“We did it,” Elisif whispered. “We won! Aela, we won!” She cried out that last and Aela laughed as she took Elisif in her arms, swinging her round and then hugging her tight.
“We won, little sister,” Aela murmured, ruffling Elisif's hair and leading her away to a quiet corner where she could sit down and start healing a few wounds she'd picked up. Elisif surveyed all the bodies lying around, brave men and women from both sides who would never fight again. Hard to feel too jubilant in the face of such death, and Whiterun still had smoke pouring from it. It would take a long time to rebuild. But Ulfric had tried and Ulfric had failed, and Elisif had survived. For now, it was enough.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Despite the destruction and the dead to bury, Whiterun still had time to celebrate. Jarl Balgruuf gave a speech to the assembled troops and citizens, including three Companions with their arms draped around each other who'd already got started on the mead.
Elisif was up alongside him, smiling faintly and hoping the feeling of nausea would go away soon and that she wouldn't actually collapse in front of everyone. She let Balgruuf do the talking – she'd already given a speech beforehand after all.
“For the Empire!” she cried as he finished, the gathered audience taking up the refrain and cheering. Finally they were done. Elisif staggered down from the walls, Balgruuf not far behind her, looking delighted.
“We did it!” he laughed, patting her on the back. “We sent them packing, eh Elisif?”
“We?” Elisif queried, sure she'd have nightmares about this for weeks. “You were in your palace! I was out there fighting!”
Balgruuf's face darkened at that. “Yes. Yes you were. Damn it, Elisif, what were you thinking? You were supposed to just give a rallying speech to the troops and get back inside! You were never supposed to be in danger! I'd even organised an escape route out of Whiterun with Kodlak for you in case the city fell!”
“Well, the Stormcloaks attacked before I could get inside!” Elisif snapped. “What was I supposed to do, Balgruuf, run away? Some Nord queen I'd be if a battle started and I ran off to let others die for me!”
“You're not a warrior, Elisif!” Balgruuf cried, and that rankled. Dawnbreaker was glowing at her side, memories of all the people she'd fought, dragons she'd killed, Draugr laid to rest, necromancers put down, all passing before her eyes, and she realised that an awful lot of people had died at her hands just lately. Not a warrior??
“I am a Dragonborn, Balgruuf!” Elisif growled, glaring at him. “These past few weeks, I've been killing people left, right and centre! Maybe I'm not a seasoned veteran, but I'm not unblooded any more either!”
Balgruuf was staring at her, and Elisif realised she'd raised her voice sufficiently that so were a number of other people. Balgruuf shook himself down and recollected himself.
“No, no, you're not, my apologies. You're right, it's not my place to tell you how to lead. All the same... I worry. You know, if you die, there's no one else to be queen, you know. You don't have any heirs.”
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timeasmymeasure
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 9.10
Date: 2013-10-26 02:38 pm (UTC)“What's going on?” Elisif whispered, looking around. Not far away, Aela was lowering her bow, face aglow.
“That's a retreat call,” she laughed. “They're retreating. We won, Elisif, we won!”
“We – we did?” Elisif gasped. She scrambled up to the top of the walls, looking out on the Stormcloak camp, watching the few remaining Stormcloaks grabbing their things and fleeing, a few braver ones fighting a desperate rearguard action as the Whiterun defenders tore into the place.
“We did it,” Elisif whispered. “We won! Aela, we won!” She cried out that last and Aela laughed as she took Elisif in her arms, swinging her round and then hugging her tight.
“We won, little sister,” Aela murmured, ruffling Elisif's hair and leading her away to a quiet corner where she could sit down and start healing a few wounds she'd picked up. Elisif surveyed all the bodies lying around, brave men and women from both sides who would never fight again. Hard to feel too jubilant in the face of such death, and Whiterun still had smoke pouring from it. It would take a long time to rebuild. But Ulfric had tried and Ulfric had failed, and Elisif had survived. For now, it was enough.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Despite the destruction and the dead to bury, Whiterun still had time to celebrate. Jarl Balgruuf gave a speech to the assembled troops and citizens, including three Companions with their arms draped around each other who'd already got started on the mead.
Elisif was up alongside him, smiling faintly and hoping the feeling of nausea would go away soon and that she wouldn't actually collapse in front of everyone. She let Balgruuf do the talking – she'd already given a speech beforehand after all.
“For the Empire!” she cried as he finished, the gathered audience taking up the refrain and cheering. Finally they were done. Elisif staggered down from the walls, Balgruuf not far behind her, looking delighted.
“We did it!” he laughed, patting her on the back. “We sent them packing, eh Elisif?”
“We?” Elisif queried, sure she'd have nightmares about this for weeks. “You were in your palace! I was out there fighting!”
Balgruuf's face darkened at that. “Yes. Yes you were. Damn it, Elisif, what were you thinking? You were supposed to just give a rallying speech to the troops and get back inside! You were never supposed to be in danger! I'd even organised an escape route out of Whiterun with Kodlak for you in case the city fell!”
“Well, the Stormcloaks attacked before I could get inside!” Elisif snapped. “What was I supposed to do, Balgruuf, run away? Some Nord queen I'd be if a battle started and I ran off to let others die for me!”
“You're not a warrior, Elisif!” Balgruuf cried, and that rankled. Dawnbreaker was glowing at her side, memories of all the people she'd fought, dragons she'd killed, Draugr laid to rest, necromancers put down, all passing before her eyes, and she realised that an awful lot of people had died at her hands just lately. Not a warrior??
“I am a Dragonborn, Balgruuf!” Elisif growled, glaring at him. “These past few weeks, I've been killing people left, right and centre! Maybe I'm not a seasoned veteran, but I'm not unblooded any more either!”
Balgruuf was staring at her, and Elisif realised she'd raised her voice sufficiently that so were a number of other people. Balgruuf shook himself down and recollected himself.
“No, no, you're not, my apologies. You're right, it's not my place to tell you how to lead. All the same... I worry. You know, if you die, there's no one else to be queen, you know. You don't have any heirs.”