“Come this way,” Madanach replied, indicating the table. “You're a vitally important part of the plan.”
Elisif didn't doubt it, although by this point she was getting a little sick of people making plans without her. Still, if it helped her keep her promises and save Skyrim, she'd go along with it. Just as long as she knew what was involved.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Much later, when the sun had gone down and plans had been made and the camp were retiring to bed, Brynjolf found Delphine brooding quietly in their shared tent.
“Fancy a drink, lass?” Brynjolf asked, waving a bottle of Black-Briar mead at her. Tricky to get with the Rift occupied by Stormcloaks and the Forsworn being unwilling to sneak out there, but Brynjolf had his methods.
“No. But thank you,” Delphine said. Out of her armour now, lying in the furs in her underwear, brooding as she stared at the tent roof. Brynjolf couldn't say he was fond of the outdoor life, and Delphine hadn't had to camp out anywhere for years, but the camp wasn't quite as uncomfortable as Brynjolf had expected.
He settled down next to her on the furs.
“Still thinking about it, lass? Your little dragon problem?”
“What else?” Delphine sighed.
Ah yes. This. Ever since Erandur had arrived with word that Elisif had learned a Shout that made Alduin vulnerable but now needed to get after him to Sovngarde by means of a dragon trap, Delphine had started looking into assisting. Balgruuf was obviously never going to agree with Stormcloaks camped on his eastern border, but the Windhelm operation with the Forsworn should help with that. There was just the little matter of luring a dragon in the first place, and that job she'd given to Esbern to research. He'd found something for her too – but it had been the unexpected discovery he'd made alongside it that had been the problem. The discovery there was a dragon on top of the Throat of the World and that Elisif couldn't not have known about it.
“You're still going to make her kill him?” Brynjolf said, resting his head on one hand. “You honestly think she'll agree to it?”
Silence. Then a shrug.
“I doubt it. From what Aranea was willing to admit to, the Greybeard who told Elisif about Dragonrend and the Elder Scroll, in other words this Paarthurnax, is considered by Elisif to be a dear friend. She's not going to like the idea.”
“That's a problem,” Brynjolf said softly. “So assuming she's not going to murder one of her friends for you, is letting this one go an option? He's been up there for centuries not doing any harm.”
“That's not the point!” Delphine sighed. “He was Alduin's right hand once, he slaughtered humans in the thousands. Even if he betrayed Alduin and isn't just biding his time, how can we trust him? He's a dragon, they're all bloodthirsty monsters by their very nature. It's only a matter of time before his real self surfaces... and he's immortal.”
“So what are you going to do?” Brynjolf asked, genuinely a bit concerned to know where this was going. He wasn't intending to interfere, but a conflict in the Blades benefited no one.
“I don't know,” Delphine sighed. “I really don't. My oath as a Blade requires me to protect Tamriel, the Dragon blood and humanity from threats, and to rid Tamriel of dragons. I can't do that if there's one still hiding on the Throat of the World, and normally I'd insist Elisif do her job or forfeit Blades assistance.”
“But?” Brynjolf asked, sensing complications.
“But she's not just a Dragonborn, she's High Queen, a Jarl!” Delphine said, gesturing at the tent entrance and the Forsworn camp beyond. “More than that, she's got a lot of allies. Principally the one whose camp we're in, and whose army we're working with.”
“Now that's a problem,” Brynjolf said knowingly. “Lass, I hope you're not going to have a big falling-out with the lovely Elisif while we're surrounded by Forsworn. Because Madanach's a very dangerous man and it appears he's got quite the soft spot for our lass Elisif. I imagine Elisif would be very upset if you gave her an ultimatum over Paarthurnax, and if Elisif was upset... well, I imagine a certain warlord with access to all sorts of dark magical arts and an army full of fanatics would not be pleased about that.”
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 27.9
Elisif didn't doubt it, although by this point she was getting a little sick of people making plans without her. Still, if it helped her keep her promises and save Skyrim, she'd go along with it. Just as long as she knew what was involved.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Much later, when the sun had gone down and plans had been made and the camp were retiring to bed, Brynjolf found Delphine brooding quietly in their shared tent.
“Fancy a drink, lass?” Brynjolf asked, waving a bottle of Black-Briar mead at her. Tricky to get with the Rift occupied by Stormcloaks and the Forsworn being unwilling to sneak out there, but Brynjolf had his methods.
“No. But thank you,” Delphine said. Out of her armour now, lying in the furs in her underwear, brooding as she stared at the tent roof. Brynjolf couldn't say he was fond of the outdoor life, and Delphine hadn't had to camp out anywhere for years, but the camp wasn't quite as uncomfortable as Brynjolf had expected.
He settled down next to her on the furs.
“Still thinking about it, lass? Your little dragon problem?”
“What else?” Delphine sighed.
Ah yes. This. Ever since Erandur had arrived with word that Elisif had learned a Shout that made Alduin vulnerable but now needed to get after him to Sovngarde by means of a dragon trap, Delphine had started looking into assisting. Balgruuf was obviously never going to agree with Stormcloaks camped on his eastern border, but the Windhelm operation with the Forsworn should help with that. There was just the little matter of luring a dragon in the first place, and that job she'd given to Esbern to research. He'd found something for her too – but it had been the unexpected discovery he'd made alongside it that had been the problem. The discovery there was a dragon on top of the Throat of the World and that Elisif couldn't not have known about it.
“You're still going to make her kill him?” Brynjolf said, resting his head on one hand. “You honestly think she'll agree to it?”
Silence. Then a shrug.
“I doubt it. From what Aranea was willing to admit to, the Greybeard who told Elisif about Dragonrend and the Elder Scroll, in other words this Paarthurnax, is considered by Elisif to be a dear friend. She's not going to like the idea.”
“That's a problem,” Brynjolf said softly. “So assuming she's not going to murder one of her friends for you, is letting this one go an option? He's been up there for centuries not doing any harm.”
“That's not the point!” Delphine sighed. “He was Alduin's right hand once, he slaughtered humans in the thousands. Even if he betrayed Alduin and isn't just biding his time, how can we trust him? He's a dragon, they're all bloodthirsty monsters by their very nature. It's only a matter of time before his real self surfaces... and he's immortal.”
“So what are you going to do?” Brynjolf asked, genuinely a bit concerned to know where this was going. He wasn't intending to interfere, but a conflict in the Blades benefited no one.
“I don't know,” Delphine sighed. “I really don't. My oath as a Blade requires me to protect Tamriel, the Dragon blood and humanity from threats, and to rid Tamriel of dragons. I can't do that if there's one still hiding on the Throat of the World, and normally I'd insist Elisif do her job or forfeit Blades assistance.”
“But?” Brynjolf asked, sensing complications.
“But she's not just a Dragonborn, she's High Queen, a Jarl!” Delphine said, gesturing at the tent entrance and the Forsworn camp beyond. “More than that, she's got a lot of allies. Principally the one whose camp we're in, and whose army we're working with.”
“Now that's a problem,” Brynjolf said knowingly. “Lass, I hope you're not going to have a big falling-out with the lovely Elisif while we're surrounded by Forsworn. Because Madanach's a very dangerous man and it appears he's got quite the soft spot for our lass Elisif. I imagine Elisif would be very upset if you gave her an ultimatum over Paarthurnax, and if Elisif was upset... well, I imagine a certain warlord with access to all sorts of dark magical arts and an army full of fanatics would not be pleased about that.”