A/N: This chapter. Oh my word, this chapter. The key character in this one wasn't even supposed to be in this fic, but he managed to worm his way in anyway. On the other hand, it was a lot of fun to write.
Summary: Elisif turns to her Blades for help, and receives a couple of new allies and a place to run to. However, it's the encounter none of them expected that might just prove the most useful of all.
Morning found Elisif saying goodbye to Kodlak, leaving a note for Balgruuf saying she had urgent business elsewhere and couldn't stay but that she was sorry for getting upset at him the previous day. Then Aela was sneaking her out of a secret tunnel under the Skyforge, whispering for her not to tell anyone any of this was here, and the two of them were fleeing south to Riverwood in the early pre-dawn light.
The sun was up by the time they reached the Sleeping Giant and while a few villagers were up and about, the place was still quiet. Delphine was nowhere in sight, but Orgnar pointed them at her bedroom.
“She said to send you both in if you turned up,” Orgnar told Elisif. “She only just got back in herself late last night, mind. Had to leave in a hurry on an urgent trip east. You're lucky you caught her.”
Elisif thanked him and pushed the door open. A very loud and ominous creaking sound echoed through the inn as she did.
“Oh yeah,” Orgnar grinned. “It does that. I keep offering to oil it for her, but she keeps saying no. I think she makes it do that on purpose.”
Sure enough, it had woken Delphine, who was sitting up in bed, rubbing her eyes and blinking in the sunlight.
“What – El – Maia?” she asked, recollecting herself in time and glaring at Elisif as her eyes focused on the young Jarl. “You are supposed to be in Solitude!”
This. This was why Elisif hadn't wanted to come.
“Well, something came up and I had to leave in a hurry,” Elisif hissed, closing the door behind her once Aela and she were both inside. “And a good thing I did, the Stormcloaks attacked Whiterun!”
“What??” That had Delphine's attention. Flinging herself out of bed and reaching for her leather armour, the Breton woman was now fully awake. “What happened? Is the city still standing?”
“Don't worry,” Aela grinned. “The city held. Balgruuf had the good sense to send to the Legion for help, we sent the Stormcloaks packing.”
Delphine sat back down on the bed, pulling on her boots and looking relieved. “Good. If Whiterun had fallen... I haven't always seen eye to eye with Balgruuf, and Ulfric and I go way back. But Ulfric's playing right into Thalmor hands with this war – well, that shouldn't surprise me. But never mind. You both look fine and Whiterun's still standing, so that's the main thing. I imagine you want to know how the job at the Embassy went, don't you?”
Among other things, yes. Elisif nodded and Delphine got up and went to her wardrobe, flinging it open and unlocking the door.
“Come on,” she said, motioning for them both to head down the tunnel. “We've got a lot to discuss.”
Elisif followed Delphine, looking around her in awe at the secret cellar filled with secret supplies.
“How much stuff have you got in here?” she whispered.
“Enough,” was all Delphine would say to that. “Now, I hope you don't mind, but I've got a couple of guests staying over. I believe you've already met one of them.”
Two men were lying on bedrolls on the floor, one old man in a filthy tunic that had once been white, and the other a familiar face in black leather armour this time.
“Hello there, lass,” 'Ragnar' grinned as he got to his feet, brushing the dust off his clothes. “Good to see you again. You're looking well. Recovered from your big night at the Embassy?”
“I'm still not interested,” Elisif growled, folding her arms and glaring at him. Maybe Delphine trusted him, that didn't mean Elisif was going to. He was clearly some sort of rogue – no one who'd spent their entire life on the right side of the law would have got in and out of the Thalmor Embassy as easily as he'd appeared to.
“Brynjolf,” Delphine sighed as she made her way over to the table. “Elisif's a young woman of refined tastes, she doesn't need you bothering her.”
The Wolf Queen Awakens 10.1
Summary: Elisif turns to her Blades for help, and receives a couple of new allies and a place to run to. However, it's the encounter none of them expected that might just prove the most useful of all.
Morning found Elisif saying goodbye to Kodlak, leaving a note for Balgruuf saying she had urgent business elsewhere and couldn't stay but that she was sorry for getting upset at him the previous day. Then Aela was sneaking her out of a secret tunnel under the Skyforge, whispering for her not to tell anyone any of this was here, and the two of them were fleeing south to Riverwood in the early pre-dawn light.
The sun was up by the time they reached the Sleeping Giant and while a few villagers were up and about, the place was still quiet. Delphine was nowhere in sight, but Orgnar pointed them at her bedroom.
“She said to send you both in if you turned up,” Orgnar told Elisif. “She only just got back in herself late last night, mind. Had to leave in a hurry on an urgent trip east. You're lucky you caught her.”
Elisif thanked him and pushed the door open. A very loud and ominous creaking sound echoed through the inn as she did.
“Oh yeah,” Orgnar grinned. “It does that. I keep offering to oil it for her, but she keeps saying no. I think she makes it do that on purpose.”
Sure enough, it had woken Delphine, who was sitting up in bed, rubbing her eyes and blinking in the sunlight.
“What – El – Maia?” she asked, recollecting herself in time and glaring at Elisif as her eyes focused on the young Jarl. “You are supposed to be in Solitude!”
This. This was why Elisif hadn't wanted to come.
“Well, something came up and I had to leave in a hurry,” Elisif hissed, closing the door behind her once Aela and she were both inside. “And a good thing I did, the Stormcloaks attacked Whiterun!”
“What??” That had Delphine's attention. Flinging herself out of bed and reaching for her leather armour, the Breton woman was now fully awake. “What happened? Is the city still standing?”
“Don't worry,” Aela grinned. “The city held. Balgruuf had the good sense to send to the Legion for help, we sent the Stormcloaks packing.”
Delphine sat back down on the bed, pulling on her boots and looking relieved. “Good. If Whiterun had fallen... I haven't always seen eye to eye with Balgruuf, and Ulfric and I go way back. But Ulfric's playing right into Thalmor hands with this war – well, that shouldn't surprise me. But never mind. You both look fine and Whiterun's still standing, so that's the main thing. I imagine you want to know how the job at the Embassy went, don't you?”
Among other things, yes. Elisif nodded and Delphine got up and went to her wardrobe, flinging it open and unlocking the door.
“Come on,” she said, motioning for them both to head down the tunnel. “We've got a lot to discuss.”
Elisif followed Delphine, looking around her in awe at the secret cellar filled with secret supplies.
“How much stuff have you got in here?” she whispered.
“Enough,” was all Delphine would say to that. “Now, I hope you don't mind, but I've got a couple of guests staying over. I believe you've already met one of them.”
Two men were lying on bedrolls on the floor, one old man in a filthy tunic that had once been white, and the other a familiar face in black leather armour this time.
“Hello there, lass,” 'Ragnar' grinned as he got to his feet, brushing the dust off his clothes. “Good to see you again. You're looking well. Recovered from your big night at the Embassy?”
“I'm still not interested,” Elisif growled, folding her arms and glaring at him. Maybe Delphine trusted him, that didn't mean Elisif was going to. He was clearly some sort of rogue – no one who'd spent their entire life on the right side of the law would have got in and out of the Thalmor Embassy as easily as he'd appeared to.
“Brynjolf,” Delphine sighed as she made her way over to the table. “Elisif's a young woman of refined tastes, she doesn't need you bothering her.”