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skyrimkinkmeme) wrote2011-10-29 12:36 pm
skyrimkinkmeme) wrote2011-10-29 12:36 pm
Meme Announcements!
ANNOUNCEMENTS: UPDATED 12/16/2017
Happy Holidays, fellow Kinkmemers! I have returned and have no reasonable excuse for my absence except LIFE. I will be working on updating the archives. If anyone sees anything amiss, please let me know.
I am also hoping to find another Mod and an Archivist.
The more dedicated people we have in this Meme the less chance of it dying. I admit that being the sole keeper of the Meme is not great for the fandom. If something were to happen to me, for good, this place would go the way of the Fallout Kink Meme. Let's not let that happen! If anyone would be interested in Modding/Archiving, please drop me a line. Thanks! <3
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 22.3
(Anonymous) 2014-01-28 02:27 pm (UTC)(link)“Afraid so,” Karliah said. “I don't normally get caught, you understand, but the job required it. I don't know if Brynjolf has a bounty as such, but if he was seen talking to the guards, they might want to question him.”
“That's a pity,” Delphine said. “Never mind. I might still be able to use Sapphire. I need to scout the place, and I'll need someone unobtrusive to give me a hand. Don't worry about your bounties, I have a feeling Ulfric won't be in charge much longer. I'm sure his successor will be willing to erase any bounties resulting from Nord injustice.”
Brynjolf took another swig of mead, feeling that somewhere along the line, someone had gone mad and he was no longer sure it wasn't him.
“So Elisif's definitely not a Forsworn prisoner then,” Brynjolf said firmly.
“No, she went to High Hrothgar with Erandur – that's a Dunmer priest she recruited – to find out about ways of bringing down Alduin,” Delphine replied. “She was fine when she left, and the Forsworn were keeping an eye on her until she reached the Reach's borders. She got that far unharmed.”
“Might want to tell General Tullius that then, he's thinking of turning the Reach over looking for her. Can't see your Forsworn alliance lasting if that happens, and if he comes here...” Brynjolf let her work the rest out for herself.
“And I'm supposed to do what?” Delphine cried. “I don't know where she is now, if she's still at High Hrothgar or on her way back or what. She's High Queen in her mind and Dragonborn, you try ordering her around. She could be anywhere, and honestly she's safer that way. The Dark Brotherhood are still out there looking for her, don't forget.”
“Someone took a contract out on Jarl Elisif?” Sapphire gasped. “Do we know who? That poor girl...”
“No we don't,” Delphine said, starting to smile. “But we know how to find the Dark Brotherhood now. Once we'd managed to get him to stop rambling about filthy defiling Mother-slandering harlots and their heretical ways, Cicero was very co-operative. I know where their Sanctuary is, I know their current membership, I even know the passphrase. We wipe them out, we'll have eliminated one of the bigger threats to Elisif's safety, and she'll be able to go back to Solitude.”
“You're wiping out the Dark Brotherhood,” Sapphire whispered, horrified. Damn it. Brynjolf should have anticipated this. Even though they'd kicked her out, Sapphire still had some residual loyalty left to them.
“It might not come to that,” Brynjolf said, reaching out to take Sapphire's hand, hoping to calm her down. “Right, Delphine?”
“I'm open to alternative suggestions,” said Delphine with a frown, and next to her Aela seemed confused as to why anyone wouldn't want to wipe them out. “Why?”
“It's complicated,” Sapphire sighed. “It's just I know them. Used to be a member until a little misunderstanding made me have to leave. I don't think I can kill people who used to be friends. Nazir was OK, so was Babette, Gabriella too, all of them really. Can't we buy them off with the money from the Eyes?”
“We don't have that money yet and I don't wish to spend it all buying the Dark Brotherhood off, and do you trust them to keep their word? I don't!” Delphine snapped. “Safest way to make sure this contract never happens is to wipe them out. Also I promised Cicero a bloodfest. I'm not sure what he'll do if I tell him it's no longer happening.”
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 22.4
(Anonymous) 2014-01-28 02:29 pm (UTC)(link)“We could do that,” Brynjolf agreed. “Del, let me talk to Astrid, we might be able to figure something out.”
“Delphine, this sounds horribly risky,” Aela pointed out. “And if we talk to Astrid, she'll know we're there and we'll have lost the element of surprise.”
“We'll have lost part of it,” Delphine said thoughtfully. “But we might still be able to do this. Let me think about this. I'll see if we can't work out some sort of plan.”
Brynjolf was more than happy to leave the planning up to her. He wasn't really terribly keen on wiping out the Dark Brotherhood. But business was business, and it was nothing personal. It never was.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Later, much later, and a knock came on Brynjolf's door. He wasn't asleep and the candles still lit probably told anyone who cared to look that. All the same, few would disturb him given it was just gone midnight.
“Who is it?”
“Me. Can I come in?”
Of course she could. Brynjolf got up and opened the door, feeling the dead weight inside lift a little.
“Delphine. Everything all right?” he asked as she slipped inside the room.
“Shouldn't I be asking you that?” she replied, sitting down on his bed unasked, watching him intently. What exactly she intended Brynjolf had no idea, but part of him wanted to find out. She'd changed out of her armour, into some blue dress with slits up the side, hair down for once, and it suited her. It really really did, and once Brynjolf would have been moving in to seduce. Not tonight. Everything that had happened had changed him. Mercer's betrayal. Joining the Nightingales. No Guild. Everything kept coming back to that. No Guild. Without that, what was he? Just some petty criminal.
Small wonder he wasn't feeling aroused. But he was glad of the company.
“I lost my Guild to the Thalmor. They know my name, it'll be hard for me to go out in public ever again.” Brynjolf joined her on the bed, staring at the floor as he sat next to her. “Guess you know how I feel.”
“I do,” Delphine said softly, moving closer. “Bryn, I'm so sorry. I didn't know... didn't know they'd trace it back to the Guild. Especially after all the lengths you went to covering your tracks.”
“Ironically, that was what did us in, I think,” Brynjolf sighed. “They probably investigated the East Empire Company, found the false records, got nowhere... and I think my accomplice there, Gulum-Ei, sold me out for the chance of quick gold and not having to pay a cut to the Guild any more. The Cistern's a well-kept secret, but that lizard knew where it was, he's been there. Bastard. I hope the Thalmor killed him, because if they didn't...”
“I can send Cicero and Eola after him if you want,” Delphine said, faint smile on her face as she rubbed his back. “If you want a long, lingering, drawn-out death, I imagine they'd be happy to help.”
“I imagine they would,” Brynjolf laughed. “Maybe later. Let him think he's got away with it. We can go for him later. I think Sapphire would quite enjoy the chance to have a go herself. Make sure he knows who he screwed over before he dies.”
Delphine laughed and rested her head against his shoulder.
“Sometimes, Brynjolf, I forget what a ruthless son of a bitch you are.”
“I'm just practical,” Brynjolf shrugged. “I don't enjoy killing, not like Cicero does. I just don't think twice about it if it's needed.”
“Same here,” Delphine said, falling silent. They sat there for a few minutes, neither saying anything, Delphine resting her head against his shoulder, one arm positioned carefully behind him, almost an embrace, but not quite. That was typical Delphine, that was – even the affection was guarded, muted, deniable. Still, it was more than he'd got from her before. He moved slightly, carefully, an arm going round her and gently bringing her closer and she didn't resist, letting him draw her in.
They stayed like that for a few moments more, Delphine nestling against his chest, smile on her face... at least until her fingers traced across the Nightingale crest on the armour he was still wearing.
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 22.5
(Anonymous) 2014-01-28 02:31 pm (UTC)(link)“They're real, aren't they? Nightingales. The thieves that guard the rest of them, and are said to punish the bad ones but protect the ones with honour.”
Brynjolf wondered if he should feel angry, or be afraid... but he knew her secret. Did it matter if she knew his?
Of course not.
“They're real,” Brynjolf admitted. “It's far more than the stories say. We get power in life, and in death we guard and watch over our fellow thieves. I'm sorry, Delphine, I don't think you and I will be sharing an afterlife. But I'll remember you.”
Delphine said nothing, just nodding and thinking it over.
“How long?” she finally said. “I mean, when did you join?”
“About a week ago?” Brynjolf admitted. That did get her attention.
“A week??” she gasped. “So you only just... you mean, you weren't one all along?”
“No,” Brynjolf said, amused at her shocked face. “Karliah inducted me and Sapphire so we'd be strong enough to fight Mercer. He used to be one but he broke his oath and screwed the Guild over. The whole reason the Guild went into decline was because of him. He betrayed us twice over, you know – the Guild at its peak would never have been attacked, Gulum-Ei wouldn't even have considered selling us out and our Solitude eyes would have warned us. Time enough to evacuate the Cistern, close the Flagon temporarily, cover our tracks. As it is, we had none of that.”
“Bastard,” Delphine said softly. “So you were never a Nightingale back when I was a member.”
“Didn't even think they were real,” Brynjolf said. He still had trouble believing it, even with the armour before him every day.
“Nor did I,” Delphine said. “But part of me wondered and part of me hoped. Maybe I was hoping someone out there might be looking out for me. I actually wondered if anyone in the Guild was one, and I thought it might be you. Delvin was another possibility, but it was mostly you. You were one of the best but it was more than that. You had a real code, you still do... and you really cared about your Guildmates. You checked up on them, helped them out, trained the younger ones – half the younger Guild were your protegees. Everyone really respected you. If I had to pick someone, I'd have chosen you. Karliah chose wisely.”
“Karliah's smart,” Brynjolf agreed. “But whether this was a good idea – I don't know. All I can do is my best, right?”
“It's all any of us can do,” Delphine said, closing her eyes. “Sometimes it's still not enough.”
Remembering the ghosts of Blades past? Probably. You didn't just get over this sort of thing in a day or even a year, Brynjolf realised that now. Even if the Guild was rebuilt, he'd never forget the others. Vex, Tonilia, Vekel, Niruin, Rune, many other thieves he'd known. But he still had his Nightingale sisters and some coin coming his way. He'd get the Guild back on its feet one day.
“Do the Nightingales watch over spies as well?” Delphine asked hesitantly. “Can't help thinking that Gallus died the same year the Concordat was signed, and Eola was saying how the Markarth Incident happened not long after, that the Forsworn believe their luck was severed by parties unknown, except their understanding's not very detailed. If Mercer broke his oath as a Nightingale and cursed the Guild in the process...”
“It's possible but I don't know for sure,” Brynjolf said thoughtfully. “But in theory, anyone who operates in the shadows could benefit from Nightingale patronage. So maybe, who knows. Karliah and I will get that conduit open again, don't you worry, lass. We'll get our luck back. And even if you don't have the rest of the Nightingales at your back... you'll still have me.” He gave her a hug, not wanting to push things. Sex or not, he was too fond of her to ruin things.
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 22.6
(Anonymous) 2014-01-28 02:33 pm (UTC)(link)“I missed you,” she sighed. “I was worried something had happened. I'm glad you're back.”
About as good as he was likely to get. He'd missed her too – in the quieter moments when he'd not been on the job or focusing on anything else, he'd wondered how she'd react to it all, wanted to tell her everything, wished she was there to help. Karliah he hadn't known that well, Sapphire was still young but Delphine knew him, knew how he worked. Working with her was like having a second shadow that could fight. When Irkngthand had flooded, he'd thought of her, quietly said goodbye and hoped she'd be all right. He could take or leave dying, but he'd miss his old friend.
“I missed you too,” he told her. He hesitated before leaning down, intending to risk kissing the top of her head... only to find she'd lifted hers up and was looking up at him, small smile on her face. Her eyes fluttered closed and she moved before he could react, lips meeting his and her arms going around his neck, and yes, definitely kissing him, he definitely wasn't misinterpreting this, not at all. What was a man meant to do other than kiss back, and he did, holding her to him and kissing her fiercely and while he still wasn't sure he wanted sex, not tonight, he definitely definitely wanted her with him.
“Don't go,” he whispered in her ear, breaking off the kiss for that long but not letting her go. “Stay with me tonight. We don't have to... but I don't want to be alone.”
“I'm not going anywhere,” Delphine whispered back, holding on to him, feeling so small and fragile in his arms even though he knew she was as fierce as they came.
So he put out the candles and stripped off and felt her slip into bed alongside him, also naked, and in the privacy and safety the shadows offered, he crawled into her arms and held her tight, finally letting the grief he'd been suppressing show as he wept for his lost Guild. Delphine held him until he was done, until he finally drifted off to sleep in her arms, before kissing him again and closing her own eyes.
And in the morning, Brynjolf woke up surprised, then confused, then pleased, and when Delphine woke up, smiled, bade him good morning and leaned over to kiss him again... this time things didn't stop at kissing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“This sneaking around is not honourable,” Vilkas muttered as he skulked in the snowberry bushes just outside Korvanjund.
“You're quite welcome to go home,” Elisif snapped, pointedly not looking in his direction. Honestly, this wasn't exactly easy, concealing four heavily armoured warriors in not nearly as much cover as she'd have liked. At least the darkness helped.
“What and miss out?” Farkas growled, sounding rather enthusiastic at the prospect of slaughtering some Stormcloaks. Elisif had been telling them of all her adventures since she'd last seen them, of Ustengrav and the Blades and the Forsworn and the Brotherhood and the Battle of Whiterun, and Vilkas and Farkas had, despite not greatly caring about the Empire or Talos, both reacted with fury at their home being attacked, not to mention missing out on a fight. Vilkas had decided that Kodlak wouldn't mind if perhaps he and Farkas just helped out a little with the war effort and had no problem following her lead as far as Korvanjund. Only now they were here, he was chafing at the bit, as was his brother, and Ria wasn't a lot better.
“What are we waiting for?” Ria asked. “Don't we want to get inside and find whatever they're after?”
“In a second,” Elisif said firmly, wishing she'd paid more attention when Rikke had tried to explain strategy to her, and that she'd made Tullius sit down and explain his plans in more detail. As it was, she wasn't exactly well-equipped for this whole scouting business. Perhaps she should have brought Cicero. “I need to see if that really is the Stormcloaks around that fire and how many there are.”
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 22.7
(Anonymous) 2014-01-28 02:34 pm (UTC)(link)“How can you possibly tell,” Elisif whispered, staring back out at the darkness of the ruins. Vilkas just shrugged and Elisif wondered if he was a werewolf as well. Could be, she doubted Aela and Skjor had been the only ones. Shrugging, she reached for her bow. If there were only five of them, then the odds weren't too bad. Good thing her aim had improved recently... and that one of them had wandered off, probably to relieve himself. Taking aim, she loosed the bow just as he turned his back, facing a nearby tree. The arrow smacked into his back and he sank to the ground without a sound. Cicero would have been proud. Elisif really wasn't, but she didn't want to die either. Not yet. Not until she faced Ulfric again.
“That definitely wasn't honourable,” Vilkas snapped. “Don't know who you've recruited into these Blades of yours, but some of them are clearly a bad influence.”
Elisif would have argued the point, but having recruited Cicero to them, she had no leg to stand on.
“All right then, let's do this your way,” she sighed. “Victory or Sovngarde and all that.”
“It will be victory,” Vilkas growled, unsheathing his sword, grim determination on his face as he broke cover, Farkas close behind him. Next to Elisif, Ria was drawing her sword and raising her shield.
“Finally!” she laughed. “Been dreaming of this for weeks! Come on, Elisif, let's kill some Stormcloaks.”
She did look an awful lot like Cicero when her bloodlust was up. Elisif just hoped that was as far as it went, the last thing she needed was two psychopaths in her party. Still, Ria had been cooped up in a Stormcloak prison for weeks, small wonder she wanted revenge.
Drawing her own swords, she ran across the already bloodstained snow after Ria. Whatever was hidden here that Ulfric wanted so badly, she'd find it first.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There had indeed been more Stormcloaks inside, and there'd been a lot of shouting and fussing as the four of them had torn into the Stormcloak ranks.
Their steel weapons had barely grazed Elisif's Blades armour, and her swords had barely stopped moving, dishing out blood and pain as she attacked.
“For Ulfric!” one had shouted as he'd come running towards her, and that had been it. Elisif's rational mind had switched off and her Dovah side had woken up, enraged at someone thinking that murdering traitor was worth following.
“Death to the Stormcloaks!” she'd cried, flinging herself into battle without a second thought. “Fall before the true High Queen!” And they had. Throughout Korvanjund they'd fallen, Farkas and Vilkas powering in first and engaging the tougher opponents, then her and Ria rushing in to tackle the rest.
They'd found a puzzle door deeper in the ruins, already unsealed, and that worried Elisif. It meant the Stormcloaks were further ahead than Elisif had thought. Oh gods, what if they got there first and got out before Elisif could catch them? They'd find their dead comrades and know there was trouble, they'd go straight back to Ulfric. She had to find them before that happened.
Dead Draugr and dead Stormcloaks, and a few live ones left on guard duty who fell easily before the Companion-Dragonborn onslaught, and finally Elisif emerged into a large chamber, with a Word Wall barely visible at the far end and nearer were two giant stone coffins and a Draugr's body on the throne between them. But what concerned Elisif more were the two figures leaning over it, two Nords, a man and a woman, the man in Stormcloak uniform and the woman in the bearskin gear of a Stormcloak leader.
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 22.8
(Anonymous) 2014-01-28 02:36 pm (UTC)(link)“You???” he shouted, and Elisif had never seen him so angry before. “You traitorous bitch! Did Kodlak's words mean nothing to you?”
The woman turned and looked at him and Elisif's breath caught in her throat as she recognised her. Njada Stonearm, Talos-worshipping Companion who'd favoured Ulfric, and now clearly one of his officers. Elisif felt her inner dragon start to growl as she realised how the Stormcloaks had got wind of her pseudonym.
“You call me a traitor?” Njada snapped. “Kodlak said to stay neutral, and here you are with her?”
“It's not the same,” Vilkas growled. “Ulfric took one of our own prisoner, it's personal. I don't care if we're in the Empire or not, but you don't hurt my Shield-Siblings.”
“I was in prison in Windhelm for weeks, Njada!” Ria cried, also looking furious. “You were working for Ulfric all that time and never came to even make sure I was all right?”
“You made your choice when you went after the Dragonborn,” Njada shot back. “I knew you weren't being hurt. All you had to do was swear loyalty to Ulfric and tell us what you knew and you'd have been freed.”
“I'd as soon swear loyalty to Mehrunes Dagon!” Ria cried. “Ulfric murdered a king!”
Yes he had, and that was the sticking point, wasn't it? The rights and wrongs of Skyrim staying in the Empire could be argued all day – but he'd killed Elisif's husband. That was something she could never forget... and never forgive. He looked up to you, Ulfric. He'd have taken you seriously if you'd just asked. But you couldn't, could you? You wanted the throne for yourself.
Elisif stepped out into the light, slowly making her way over, cold anger trickling down her back as she prepared to face Njada and her Stormcloak friend.
“Why are you here, Njada,” Elisif said softly. “I can't believe Ulfric would waste his troops on a ruin like this just for the grave goods. The Walls only work for a Dragonborn, Njada. He isn't one.”
Njada's eyes widened a fraction as Elisif approached. Good, so she was afraid. So she should be.
“You don't know?” the Nord with her said, sounding incredulous. Blonde, looking a year or two older than Elisif, and already battle-hardened. “But why come here in person if you didn't know it was here?”
“Ralof, ssh!” Njada hissed. “If she doesn't know, don't tell her!” She turned back to Elisif, eyes narrowed.
“We're here for what's rightfully Ulfric's. You can't hope to stand against him, Elisif. Turn and walk away, and we won't kill you.”
“You think you can kill me?” Elisif laughed, feeling the dragon power pulsing inside, the Thu'um good to go, and this would be a fight to sing of, she knew it would be, Njada was strong but not very much stronger and some things even the Stonearm wouldn't be able to block. Get past her shield and Njada was no tougher than anyone else.
“You know you're not actually a dragon, right?” Njada said scornfully, raising sword and shield. “What are you going to do, breathe fire at me?”
Elisif drew her swords, Dawnbreaker in one hand, Dragonbane in the other. She'd show her.
“YOL!”
Njada shrieked, only just getting her shield up in time, and even then she wasn't entirely unscathed, staggering back and crying out at the burns on her legs. Straight into the Draugr on the throne. The one which, now that Elisif was closer, she could see was wearing some sort of helmet with dragon teeth shoved into it.
Maw unleashing razor snow, of dragons from the blue brought down, births the walking winter's woe, the High King in his Jagged Crown.
It couldn't be. It wasn't even real, was it? The legendary lost crown of King Borgas, the Jagged Crown, traditional badge of office of the High King or Queen, made from the teeth of dead dragons – and Ulfric had found it, or one of his people had. Ulfric clearly hadn't believed there was anything here either, or he'd have come in person, but he'd evidently been desperate enough to agree to Njada going in search of it.
Elisif saw it, Elisif wanted it, wanted it more than she'd wanted anything. It belonged to the true ruler of Skyrim, it was made of dragons, what was more fitting for her to wear than the Jagged Crown itself?
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 22.9
(Anonymous) 2014-01-28 02:37 pm (UTC)(link)However, right now, she had more important things to worry about. Njada had staggered back into the Draugr's lap, and as she'd hit it, the thing had looked up, opened its eyes and growled.
Njada wasn't a coward but she wasn't an idiot either, and with a little scream, she staggered back, enduring the pain in her legs as she raised her weapons against it. Next to the throne, the other two coffins smashed open and the Draugr within stepped out. All armed with ebony, all looking tough, and it looked like one had a frost spell in its offhand.
Elisif glanced at Njada, who glanced back.
“Whoever kills it gets the Crown,” Njada said calmly. Elisif raised her swords, prepared to fight, Dawnbreaker lighting up half the cavern.
“Agreed,” said Elisif, and the battle was on. Vilkas and Ria were dealing with the one on the right, Farkas had charged down the one with the magic, helping Ralof out, leaving Njada and Elisif taking on the one with the crown. With Njada injured, Elisif was doing most of the attacking, but Njada's shield bashing kept it off-balance and kept her uninjured.
Unfortunately, that meant it promptly turned on the easier target, and damn it, why didn't Elisif have a shield?? She should have picked a Blades shield up when she had the chance, as it was, she had to rely on her armour to take the damage, turning her left shoulder towards the Draugr and stabbing in with Dawnbreaker, keeping the strikes up fast enough it was having trouble responding. But her stamina and luck couldn't last forever. She got tired and then the Draugr Shouted, sending Dawnbreaker flying out of her hand. Elisif cried out, distracted, and the Draugr took advantage, its ebony axe colliding with her shoulder and sending her staggering back. Elisif sank to the ground, in agony and reaching for a healing potion... but the Draugr was striding forward, weapons raised.
At least until Njada's sword sliced through its abdomen and it turned on her instead. Njada barely reacted, just raising her shield, letting it hammer away, barely staggering, and Elisif could see the blisters on her legs. The pain must be killing her, but she was stoically resisting to the last. True Nords really did never back down, it seemed.
Crawling away, Elisif reached her pack and downed healing potions, before finally casting a healing spell, draining her entire magicka before looking around for Dawnbreaker. She couldn't see it, and then she heard the cry of “ZUN HAAL VIIK!” echoing out and Ria swearing as her Skyforge blade went flying. Vilkas stepped in to carve the Draugr Scourge they'd been fighting in two, while Ria looked around, saw Dawnbreaker lying on the ground, much more visible than her own sword and snatched it up. With the Scourge dead, the next nearest target was the Deathlord with the Crown and she charged in, giving Njada a hand.
“Sword-stealing cow,” Elisif muttered, grabbing Ria's discarded weapon instead and looking to see who needed help most. Not many options – Vilkas had gone to help his brother and the two of them had killed the other Scourge and had now turned on Ralof. Farkas's greatsword struck first, almost knocking Ralof's weapon from his hands, then Vilkas struck with his greatsword's pommel, stunning Ralof. After that, he was easily disarmed and wrestled into submission, Farkas pinning him to the ground. That just left the Deathlord. It was going toe to toe with Ria, who Elisif had to admit was a lot more skilled than Elisif had thought, Dawnbreaker a constant golden blur as it struck out. Then another Shout and Ria was disarmed too... and before anyone could react, Njada had charged in, bashing into the Draugr with her shield then sweeping into an attack with her sword. The Draugr howled and raised its axe, and while it hit Njada's shield, it was a shield already weakened by the earlier onslaught. The shield cracked in two, one half falling to the floor, and Njada actually gasped. Then she looked up, her nerve seeming to fade as she stared into the Draugr's face, but she rallied herself regardless, blocking with her sword as best she could.
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 22.10
(Anonymous) 2014-01-28 02:39 pm (UTC)(link)“Njada!” Ria cried, darting back with her own shield raised, and looking about for a weapon or help or anything.
She needn't have worried. Elisif had reclaimed Dawnbreaker as soon as it had left Ria's grasp and ran over to the Deathlord. While it had been busy with Njada, she'd managed to creep up on it.
Dawnbreaker rammed through the Draugr's stomach, fire blazing into the undead warrior and as Elisif tore Dawnbreaker out in a swing that ripped through dry flesh, the life died out of it and magic exploded through the chamber. As it fell, Elisif caught the Jagged Crown by one of the teeth and held it to her, stroking it in awe. A legendary relic, part of history and myth, the sight of Nord armies led by their warrior-ruler in their dragontooth crown having struck fear into the heart of many a foe. And now it was hers.
But before that, there was the little matter of their Stormcloak prisoners. Njada was lying on the ground in a pool of blood, Ria leaning over her and sobbing as she did her best to stem the bleeding.
“Njada, you idiot, what were you thinking?” Ria cried. She looked helplessly up at Elisif as she knelt next to her. “Elisif, we've got potions, right? We can keep her alive long enough to get her back to Whiterun, can't we?”
Elisif felt Vilkas at her back, staring down at Njada and squeezing Ria's shoulder. A glance at him, and she knew he was thinking the same, that Njada would be lucky to make it out of the tomb. She turned back to Njada's pale face and saw she knew it too.
“Not... this time... sister,” Njada gasped. “Let me... go... to Sovngarde.”
“No!” Ria sobbed, looking heartbroken and Elisif realised that despite the war coming between them, Shield-Brothers and Sisters never really lost that bond.
“Ria,” Vilkas said quietly. “Let her go. We can't save her. Better this way. Let her die with honour.”
“Thanks... brother,” Njada gasped, before finally turning to Elisif. Elisif was surprised to see her actually smiling.
“Make the story... a good one... Dragon-Queen,” Njada whispered, and then she closed her eyes. She didn't move again and then Ria began to cry in earnest as Vilkas put his arms around her.
“She's gone, Ria,” Vilkas said quietly. “Shor has her now.” Ria wasn't comforted, just crying harder in Vilkas's arms and Elisif was feeling a bit teary-eyed herself. She'd never quite got it before, how you could fight someone, lose and forgive them for killing you. Now she'd been on the receiving end, seeing Njada die and forgive her for being on a different side. Njada had even called her queen. Elisif tightened her grip on the crown. Not Queen yet, and had Njada not been dying, she knew she'd never have acknowledged her claim. But she was closer and she had a crown now. It was something, and it would make a good story. She'd have to be sure to tell it well, make sure Njada hadn't died for nothing. Everyone died eventually but a good story never did. A part in that was the next best thing to immortality, be you hero or villain. All Nords knew that, but Elisif hadn't really stopped to think about what it meant before. Now she was beginning to understand.
“Elisif,” said Vilkas quietly. “Ralof's still alive. What did you want to do with him?”
“You didn't kill him?” Elisif asked, surprised. She'd have thought the twins would have shown no mercy. Vilkas shook his head.
“He's a Riverwood man. He was going to join us until the Thalmor took his cousin, then he ran off to Windhelm to join the army Ulfric was building. That was five years ago now. I... wasn't sure I wanted to kill him unless I had to. He was never a bad lad.”
No, he probably wasn't, that was the tragedy of it all. Elisif got up and, sheathing her weapons, placed the Jagged Crown on her head, slowly adjusting to the weight as she made her way over. Shor's bones, it was heavy!
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 22.11
(Anonymous) 2014-01-28 02:41 pm (UTC)(link)“A crown doesn't make a king,” Ralof snapped. “You won this one, but you won't win in the end. Your corrupt Empire will fall and take you with it!”
Once Elisif might have been tempted to argue the point, but right now she didn't care. She was rather glad he'd survived. Njada had been right – live or die, the story was the important thing, and what use was a story if no one could tell it?
“I'm letting you go,” Elisif said calmly. “Go back to Ulfric and tell him I have his precious Jagged Crown, and soon I will have a throne to go with it. I am Elisif, the true High Queen, born of dragons, and Skyrim is mine. Get back to Windhelm and tell him that, Ralof. You tell him I'm coming for him, and when I do, he'll fall, one way or another. Now get out of here.”
Farkas let him up at Elisif's nod, and Ralof stopped only to grab his warhammer before fleeing out of the tomb.
Elisif sighed and looked around at the rest of the chamber. There'd have to be something worth having, and the Word Wall was a prize regardless. She just needed to rally the others and...
Farkas was still kneeling, staring up at her in awe and next to Njada's body, Vilkas and Ria were doing likewise.
“What?” Elisif said defensively. All that attention was making her nervous. “What is it?”
“You're really queen, aren't you?” Ria whispered. “I mean, you're really a Jarl and everything, not just a warrior.”
“I really am,” Elisif said, feeling a little surprised herself. “With a crown! I've got a crown!” She fingered one of its teeth, wondering how she looked. She definitely felt different wearing it. It was partly the weight, partly the dragon-teeth protecting her cheeks, just barely visible on the edge of her vision, all of it reminding her she was a warrior – more than a warrior. A queen.
Vilkas did smile at that. “Yes, you have, and it looks impressive. Ria, have you got that mirror still?”
Ria did indeed have a small handmirror and she gladly passed it over to Elisif. Elisif stared at her reflection in it, barely recognising herself. Dragon teeth framing her face, red hair streaming out from under it, her actual face half-shadowed – Elisif the woman barely recognisable under something all Nords would recognise as the symbol of their queen.
I am queen, even without a moot. The gods made me Dragonborn, and I will protect Skyrim or die trying, that I promise.
“I'm going to win this war,” Elisif said softly, knowing that she could do it, that she was the stronger now, that Ulfric could never intimidate or bully her ever again... and nor would anyone else.
“Yes you are,” Ria said, finally smiling. “All Hail Elisif, High Queen of Skyrim!”
“All Hail Elisif, High Queen of Skyrim!” Farkas and Vilkas cried, both on their feet now. Once Elisif might have been embarrassed by all the praise – Eight knew that even after becoming Jarl, no one had been hailing her as queen. Now though, now it just felt right. She was High Queen of Skyrim – and once she'd dealt with that pretender king in Windhelm, everyone would know whose Thu'um was stronger.
~~~~~~~
A/N: A crown doesn't make a queen, but it can go a long way towards it. And now, Elisif, now you really do look the part.
Next chapter, there's one major obstacle to Elisif emerging from hiding to take her crown, and that's the little matter of the Dark Brotherhood contract. Not to worry, the Blades take their duty to guard and guide the Dragonborn very seriously, and with Nightingale assistance, Delphine's ready to make her move.