Braig turned out to be a fifty-something balding Breton, painted with the usual Forsworn war-paint, hacking away at the rock surface and snapping at her when she asked to speak to him. As soon as she mentioned Madanach though, his entire demeanour changed.
“Did he now?” Braig said thoughtfully, lowering his pick and sitting down, making himself comfortable. “Well all right then, if he wants you to hear it, I'll tell you. But let's hear yours first. When was the first time you felt chains on your wrists?”
First time?? This was the first time. Elisif could cry. She shouldn't be here, she wasn't a criminal, she didn't belong here! But her story... she could tell him that.
“Never,” Elisif whispered. “I grew up in Wayrest, out in High Rock. It was just me and my father. He was about your age when I was born, he'd married a much younger woman. But she'd died in childbirth, leaving him with me. I don't think he ever got over it, but he loved me regardless. We weren't exactly rich, but we weren't poor either. Then when I was about nineteen, he started to get sick. Really sick. So he sold everything we had and took us on a boat to Skyrim. To Solitude. He wanted to look upon his homeland again before he died. So we went there, rented a house and lived there, and every day I'd take him to the docks if it wasn't raining and he wasn't too ill so he could see the Throat of the World in the distance. It made him happy, and I was glad of it. Then there was a party at the Bards' College for the Burning of King Olaf Festival. I went along on my own and then I met this young man there. He was so handsome and charming and had a throng of young men and women around him but the moment he laid eyes on me, he barely left my side. Kept seeking me out, talking to me, asking me to look after his drink for me so he had an excuse to come back. I was flattered and pleased and he seemed so nice. A few days later he called on the house and spent some time with my father, and then he started visiting regularly. Then he introduced me to his father and that was... intimidating. And then one day he turned up with an Amulet of Mara and asked me to marry him. So I did. And we were happy. Really happy. We were married for three years, and despite my father dying and then his father at the end of last year, we didn't care because we still had each other. And then Ulfric Stormcloak came to Solitude and murdered my husband. Just Shouted him to the floor and ran him through before he could defend himself. Right there in front of me, in front of everyone!” Elisif felt the tears started to come, and she wiped her eyes, sniffing as she tried to blink them away.
“He was twenty five years old,” she whispered. “He wasn't a seasoned warrior, he'd had some training but he was just a young man and he couldn't Shout like Ulfric could. And Ulfric just walked up to him and killed him. Not because he'd done anything wrong even, but to make a point. He did it because he could. And he broke my heart.”
Elisif had been sitting down anyway and that was probably a good thing because it meant she didn't injure herself due to her legs giving way as she began to cry in earnest.
“I shouldn't even be here!” she sobbed. “I should be in Solitude right now, in our house there, with my husband alive, looking forward to – I was pregnant, did you know that? We'd just found out, I'd told him that morning, and we were so happy. We'd wanted children more than anything. Then he died and... and I lost the baby and nothing's been right ever since. I should be in Solitude, thinking of names and picking out decorations for the nursery... and instead here I am, travelling Skyrim, trying to learn to be a warrior so I can challenge Ulfric and get revenge on him. Instead I walk right into Thonar Silver-Blood's hands and he slung me in here to get me out of the way. Even Madanach got a trial, didn't he?” Elisif wiped her eyes and looked up at Braig, wondering how he was taking all this. It had gone strangely quiet out there, the mine silent, no one hacking at rock faces, no one talking or anything. Just an old Forsworn warrior staring back at her and looking guilty for even asking.
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timeasmymeasure
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 13.7
Date: 2013-11-11 08:52 pm (UTC)“Did he now?” Braig said thoughtfully, lowering his pick and sitting down, making himself comfortable. “Well all right then, if he wants you to hear it, I'll tell you. But let's hear yours first. When was the first time you felt chains on your wrists?”
First time?? This was the first time. Elisif could cry. She shouldn't be here, she wasn't a criminal, she didn't belong here! But her story... she could tell him that.
“Never,” Elisif whispered. “I grew up in Wayrest, out in High Rock. It was just me and my father. He was about your age when I was born, he'd married a much younger woman. But she'd died in childbirth, leaving him with me. I don't think he ever got over it, but he loved me regardless. We weren't exactly rich, but we weren't poor either. Then when I was about nineteen, he started to get sick. Really sick. So he sold everything we had and took us on a boat to Skyrim. To Solitude. He wanted to look upon his homeland again before he died. So we went there, rented a house and lived there, and every day I'd take him to the docks if it wasn't raining and he wasn't too ill so he could see the Throat of the World in the distance. It made him happy, and I was glad of it. Then there was a party at the Bards' College for the Burning of King Olaf Festival. I went along on my own and then I met this young man there. He was so handsome and charming and had a throng of young men and women around him but the moment he laid eyes on me, he barely left my side. Kept seeking me out, talking to me, asking me to look after his drink for me so he had an excuse to come back. I was flattered and pleased and he seemed so nice. A few days later he called on the house and spent some time with my father, and then he started visiting regularly. Then he introduced me to his father and that was... intimidating. And then one day he turned up with an Amulet of Mara and asked me to marry him. So I did. And we were happy. Really happy. We were married for three years, and despite my father dying and then his father at the end of last year, we didn't care because we still had each other. And then Ulfric Stormcloak came to Solitude and murdered my husband. Just Shouted him to the floor and ran him through before he could defend himself. Right there in front of me, in front of everyone!” Elisif felt the tears started to come, and she wiped her eyes, sniffing as she tried to blink them away.
“He was twenty five years old,” she whispered. “He wasn't a seasoned warrior, he'd had some training but he was just a young man and he couldn't Shout like Ulfric could. And Ulfric just walked up to him and killed him. Not because he'd done anything wrong even, but to make a point. He did it because he could. And he broke my heart.”
Elisif had been sitting down anyway and that was probably a good thing because it meant she didn't injure herself due to her legs giving way as she began to cry in earnest.
“I shouldn't even be here!” she sobbed. “I should be in Solitude right now, in our house there, with my husband alive, looking forward to – I was pregnant, did you know that? We'd just found out, I'd told him that morning, and we were so happy. We'd wanted children more than anything. Then he died and... and I lost the baby and nothing's been right ever since. I should be in Solitude, thinking of names and picking out decorations for the nursery... and instead here I am, travelling Skyrim, trying to learn to be a warrior so I can challenge Ulfric and get revenge on him. Instead I walk right into Thonar Silver-Blood's hands and he slung me in here to get me out of the way. Even Madanach got a trial, didn't he?” Elisif wiped her eyes and looked up at Braig, wondering how he was taking all this. It had gone strangely quiet out there, the mine silent, no one hacking at rock faces, no one talking or anything. Just an old Forsworn warrior staring back at her and looking guilty for even asking.