It had taken some doing, but she was in. Trying to get past that Orc guard, who'd looked her up and down, smirking at her but thankfully just wanting a shiv as the price for getting to see Madanach. So she'd got one for him. She'd had to pretend to be a Skooma addict to do it, but she'd managed it. And all the while, the men of the prison had been watching her, always watching her, not doing anything but looking, but still looking and she knew what was on their minds, she could tell. Something told her it was only a matter of time before one made a move and the prospect terrified her.
All the more reason to find Madanach quickly. So here she was, making her way down the tunnel towards his private cell. Didn't reek as badly as the rest of the prison down here, apart from the private toilet facility off to one side, the sole one in the prison, needless to say. Elisif made her way down the tunnel to the room at the end, wondering what she'd find.
What she hadn't expected was a bed, chest, food, wine, and sitting behind a writing desk, an older man, dressed in prison rags but looking distinctly less grimy than the rest of the prisoners. He was busy writing a letter of some kind. More kill orders for his underlings?
He barely spared her a second glance as she walked in. Now that she was here, she had no idea what to say to him. Ask for help? Shout at him for aiding and abetting death and corruption? Shout at him for real and hope it killed him outright before he could recover and start casting back?
She wasn't sure that last one was a good idea. Even with her fully armed, she had a feeling he'd be tough to beat. One did not get to be King of the Forsworn by being weak.
“Well, well. Look at you,” he growled, eyes flicking over to her but not lingering and that was actually a relief. Someone in this mine not staring at her like she was a piece of meat. “Your kinsmen have turned you into a wild animal, caged up and left to go mad. So, my fellow beast, what do you want? Answers about the Forsworn? Justice? Not a lot of that in this city, Nord.”
“I noticed,” Elisif growled, wondering if she was strong and fast enough to throttle him. Probably not. He was the same height she was, more or less, but stockier and stronger from the look of it. Stronger and not remotely reluctant to kill Nords. She'd have to be careful. “You've got a lot to answer for.”
“Do I,” Madanach murmured back, anger flashing in his eyes. “And what about you, hmm? You're the one who came here, started meddling, going where you weren't wanted, antagonising the wrong people. Now your foolishness brought you here and you expect me to make it all better for you? You Nords, you want it all on a plate, don't you? You disgust me.”
“You're not exactly endearing yourself to me either!” Elisif shot back. “You're the one murdering innocent people on the orders of someone who you should be fighting! At least I'm not a hypocrite!”
The quill slammed down, and as Madanach slowly got out of his chair, glaring at her, Elisif stepped back, realising she'd gone too far.
“Oh gods,” she whispered. He was advancing on her, eyes narrowed as his mage armour flared into being. This was it, death coming for her, and now it was actually happening she wasn't greeting it with open arms, she was terrified. But she was still a true Nord and if she died bravely, Sovngarde awaited, right? Torygg, get some mead ready, I'm coming home... Elisif closed her eyes.
“Go on then,” she heard herself say. “Send me to Sovngarde, I don't even care.”
Silence. Nothing at all, and finally Elisif risked opening her eyes to see Madanach not moving, just frowning at her.
“You know,” he said at length, “it's almost like you want me to kill you.”
Elisif just shrugged, not sure she really wanted to talk about this with a stranger, especially not the King in Rags.
“Why would you care?” she snapped. “You hate Nords, don't you?”
He didn't answer. He was just staring at her, appraising her very carefully.
“Who are you?” he murmured. “They told me you were some mercenary called Maia, but there's something about you... You're not a mercenary, that's for damn sure.”
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timeasmymeasure
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 13.4
Date: 2013-11-11 08:47 pm (UTC)All the more reason to find Madanach quickly. So here she was, making her way down the tunnel towards his private cell. Didn't reek as badly as the rest of the prison down here, apart from the private toilet facility off to one side, the sole one in the prison, needless to say. Elisif made her way down the tunnel to the room at the end, wondering what she'd find.
What she hadn't expected was a bed, chest, food, wine, and sitting behind a writing desk, an older man, dressed in prison rags but looking distinctly less grimy than the rest of the prisoners. He was busy writing a letter of some kind. More kill orders for his underlings?
He barely spared her a second glance as she walked in. Now that she was here, she had no idea what to say to him. Ask for help? Shout at him for aiding and abetting death and corruption? Shout at him for real and hope it killed him outright before he could recover and start casting back?
She wasn't sure that last one was a good idea. Even with her fully armed, she had a feeling he'd be tough to beat. One did not get to be King of the Forsworn by being weak.
“Well, well. Look at you,” he growled, eyes flicking over to her but not lingering and that was actually a relief. Someone in this mine not staring at her like she was a piece of meat. “Your kinsmen have turned you into a wild animal, caged up and left to go mad. So, my fellow beast, what do you want? Answers about the Forsworn? Justice? Not a lot of that in this city, Nord.”
“I noticed,” Elisif growled, wondering if she was strong and fast enough to throttle him. Probably not. He was the same height she was, more or less, but stockier and stronger from the look of it. Stronger and not remotely reluctant to kill Nords. She'd have to be careful. “You've got a lot to answer for.”
“Do I,” Madanach murmured back, anger flashing in his eyes. “And what about you, hmm? You're the one who came here, started meddling, going where you weren't wanted, antagonising the wrong people. Now your foolishness brought you here and you expect me to make it all better for you? You Nords, you want it all on a plate, don't you? You disgust me.”
“You're not exactly endearing yourself to me either!” Elisif shot back. “You're the one murdering innocent people on the orders of someone who you should be fighting! At least I'm not a hypocrite!”
The quill slammed down, and as Madanach slowly got out of his chair, glaring at her, Elisif stepped back, realising she'd gone too far.
“Oh gods,” she whispered. He was advancing on her, eyes narrowed as his mage armour flared into being. This was it, death coming for her, and now it was actually happening she wasn't greeting it with open arms, she was terrified. But she was still a true Nord and if she died bravely, Sovngarde awaited, right? Torygg, get some mead ready, I'm coming home... Elisif closed her eyes.
“Go on then,” she heard herself say. “Send me to Sovngarde, I don't even care.”
Silence. Nothing at all, and finally Elisif risked opening her eyes to see Madanach not moving, just frowning at her.
“You know,” he said at length, “it's almost like you want me to kill you.”
Elisif just shrugged, not sure she really wanted to talk about this with a stranger, especially not the King in Rags.
“Why would you care?” she snapped. “You hate Nords, don't you?”
He didn't answer. He was just staring at her, appraising her very carefully.
“Who are you?” he murmured. “They told me you were some mercenary called Maia, but there's something about you... You're not a mercenary, that's for damn sure.”