The Stormcloak Queen - A skyrim Fanfiction

[28] Trust me I have no idea.

(Don't know who to give credit to but I feel the armour is very Freya-y)

"So it's agreed we focus all our efforts on reclaiming the rift?" Ulfric asked, standing over the war table, this was greeted to a resounding chorus of yes. When have I ever gone with the general consensus? Of course I was the only one objecting.
"You're not happy with this Dragonborn?"
"Well, tactically it's foolish." I begun budging Ulfric out of the way so I was over the map dotted with flags. "Why do you all look like I've just killed your pet dog? It is stupid."
"So what do you suggest?" One of the other officers, a big burly man that was as strong as he was stupid asked.
"Good question. First one ever from you Kai."
"You insult me?" He asked, although it was rather obvious I was.
"And we're back to thick as a post." I said with a roll of my eyes, of course I fucking insulted him. "We take Falkreath."
"A minor settlement, without any particularly good farms, no trade and..."
"And the only major road into Skyrim, well the only paved one with out going through any other countries any way. It's trivial to maintain a military ores ensue after taking it and a simple matter to sink supply ships and you can't get supplies in any other way than of of those two. Cut off the head the body dies."
"That actually makes sense." Ysarld, commented. "I'm surprised."

"Freya!" The snidely posh voice of Arivanya rang out through the halls of Dragonsreach. "It's been a while! Do you mind telling your guards to let go of me?"

It had been ages science I had last seen Arivanya and she remained unchanged. Her hair that was only a few shades lighter than her skin -which unnerved me-  was pulled back from her face and arranged intricately in a style that was clearly Elven. This was only complimented by her thalmor robes and I'm better than you demeanour, although the the fact she was being escorted in rather bodily by two burly guards was a welcome sight. 
"They're under instructions to apprehend all thalmor." I shrugged. "Perhaps you shouldn't walk into a stormcloak settlement fully decked out in thalmor robes?"
"They're fashionable, dear. I don't expect a Nord to understand." She said and I waved the guards away.
"What do you want, elf?" I sighed. "Because I'm not in a good mood and that means the gathered court will get the chance to see if mer bleed as red as men do."
"I've tried my best to stay out of your way, you're clearly unready for out mutual problem. However your Stormcloaks happen to have my husband awaiting execution."
"Well he probably deserves it, he is thalmor."
"Technically I'm thalmor." She said rolling her eyes. "But we both know I'm playing fast and loose with that one."
"Do we know that?"
"Oh you're being coy, how delightful!"
"Saddle up Lydia and I's horses." I said reluctantly to a servant. "I'm apparently going on a rescue mission."

"Stop." I said, holding out my hand to bar Arivanya from passing me.
"I don't feel as if we should be waiting considering my husbands execution inches closer with every passing minute."
"They'd do it publicly." Lydia shrugged. "So he's either dead or they're not doing it today."
Arivanya and I both turned our glares to Lydia who apparently thought that that was totally fine and not at all insensitive. "It isn't going to look good if I just walk in and free a Justiciar. Has anyone thought about that?" I said, questioning my travelling companions. "Apparently not. However this means we're going to need to go for the inconspicuous and stealthy approach."
"And you get to show off and use your Dark Brotherhood skills?"
"Ugh, shut up Lydia."
"I'm not taking off my robe, it's enchanted."
"Ugh, shut up elf."

Compromise was finally reached and we walked into the stone city looking like a rather strange group of mercenaries. Arivanya compromised and tied a cloak over her rather obvious robes, Lydia went and sat in the inn as I guessed a bigger group would attract more attention when sneaking in the keep and I had pulled a hood over my head because I had forgotten a helmet and I had a fucking good helmet at home.

Hiding my face the best I could in the fur mantle I had added to the armour and the hood incase one of the stormcloak guards recognised me we stuck to the darker streets of Markarth. I could see why it was the city of blood and silver, the stench of ore being smelted and forges permanently tainted the city and smoke wafted up into the sky. And the blood part of that nickname was perhaps partially helped by Ulfric's old dealings with the city...

"The keep or the mine?"
"What?"
"The keep or the mine?"
"The keep." She said, although the mask of composure was slipping. "So how are we getting in?"
"Front door." I shrugged. "It's a big keep. Dwemer ruins, museum, hall of the dead and and a stupid altmer mage that buys dwemer artificers from travellers? We have a wealth of excuses."
"You better be right about this."
"So how long have you been married?" I asked the altmer, changing the subject and surprising myself. I wanted this over as soon as possible, I didn't care if her husband died. I just wanted this done with as soon as possible so this hero of Kavatch and I could go back to our mutual understanding that when the time came her and her little group of Altmer that had grown disillusioned would help us bring down oblivion on to the Thalmor.
"Maybe 100 years, give or take a few decades." She said furrowing her brow slightly. "It's been so long."
"You're older than you look." I said in surprise, although the fact she was the hero of Kavatch should have given it away for me. "You altmer certainly live long."
"Humans lives are so short, it's a wonder you achieve anything in them." There was the special kind of arrogance only the Thalmor taught.

"Is it time for my execution already?" The altmer man asked me, coldly laughing after I had picked the look on the door to the small, barley furnished room he was being held in. "I was getting impatient."

Even dressed in rags and and clearly beaten, he still had the air of 'I'm superior to you and I know it' that seemed to come with being Altmer and it showed in his every movement. He had gold skin, closely cropped white hair and slight stubble that in sure was quite scandalous back on the summerset isles or Alinor or whatever the fuck they called it now.

"I should hope not, darling." Arivanya said smirking and pushing past me. "Sorry to keep you waiting."
"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" He said, laughing properly this time and I shut the door so it wasn't painfully obvious to any passers by that we were mounting an escape.
"I do try." She laughed in response before taking his face in her hands. "What happened to you? Why haven't you healed it?"
"My foods being dosed with magicka poison." He groaned and I snorted at the fact that he was perhaps finally getting some justice for what happened during the war and I was freeing him. "Something funny, human?"
"Several things actually, knife-ears." I bit back, making my views in him completely obvious.
"How dare.."
"Both of you!" Arivanya said cutting in. "Not the time! You're the Stormcloak assassin Freya, how do we get Ondolemar back out of here?"
"Oh you can trust me, I have no idea."

"I'm in your debt." Ondolemar says grudgingly as he reapears, now dressed in thalmor robes his wife had brought along."
We made it out side of the city with little incident and we were finally outside of the hold in wild country no one in their right minds would travel to.
"Damn right." I smirked.
"Be nice Freya." Arivanya sighs. "I'll have something delivered to Dragonsreach as thanks and for your continued cooperation but we really must dash."
"Until we meet again Nord." Ondolemar says, raising an eyebrow and urging his horse in the opposite direction.

Watching the two elf's backs grow into specks on the horizon, Lydia turned to me. "You do know that your being manipulated by them, right?"
"Wouldn't be the first time I've had an knife ears hand so far up my arse that they're using me as a puppet." I laughed bitterly. "Only this time I've just got to wait for an opportunity to swap positions."