"Ok um...you!" She points to an older looking dark elf.
The elf is scared for a moment and considers running, but stays where she is,"Yes? What do you want with me, Dragonborn?"
Maya smiles gravely and puts her hands on shoulders, "Be calm, I won't hurt you. I want you to gather as many of people here in the grey quarter as you can, and get them inside The Palace of Kings."
The elf looks at her with bewilderment,"What? None of us are allowed anywhere near there!"
"Don't worry about that, the palace is empty right now. Gather everyone you can, and get them in there. It's the only place the Stormcloaks won't attack directly, you'll all be safe there."
The elf's eyes widen. If she wasn't confused already, she's bloody clueless now. "Safe? From the Stormcloaks? I don't understand, why would they attack the Palace of Kings?"
Maya doesn't know what to say, only looks off to the side sheepishly.
"What did you do?" The elf asks.
Maya looks at her dead in the eye, "All you need to know is that trouble is coming and if you don't do what I'm telling you, you could all be in great danger. Now get moving."
And so she does.
-
Not too long ago, Maya had been sitting inside Candlehearth Hall. Drowning her sorrows in mead. This was probably her ninth or tenth, she had lost count. She had her hood on to avoid being recognized. It hid her breton features, black hair, pale skin, and dark eyes.
She wasn't in a very good mood. She had been in a fight with Serana the night before, and unlike most times, this one hadn't with an apology and embrace. They had said things to each other. Horrible, mean, and unfair things. Things that she didn't even want to think about. Maya couldn't even remember how the fight had started. All she knew was that it had ended with Serana walking away and not coming back to the campsite. That hurt. And so here she was, in an Inn full of racist and moronic Nords who couldn't shut up about their so called, "True High King." What a heap of horse shit. If only they knew what she did about their precious leader. That sell-out.
"Soon," she heard one Stormcloak say," soon we'll head to Whiterun and remove that coward Balgruuf from his throne."
She had heard this before and every time she did, it brought on a headache. A headache she really didn't need right now.
"Damn right," another said, "if that fool isn't with us, he's against us!"
"Galmar has been pressing Ulfric, soon, he'll give the word. First Whiterun. Then the rest of Skyrim! To Ulfric Stormcloak!"said a third as they all raised their tankards.
"THE TRUE HIGH KING!" They clanked them together and began to drink, but stopped as they heard a strange sound. Someone was laughing.
They turned towards a chair near the fireplace where a hooded figure sat. They had their head down to hide their face, but the soldiers could tell from the laugh that it was a woman. And her laugh was getting louder and louder.
Maya tried to hold it in, but she couldn't take it anymore. She threw her head back drunkenly and let out a good, long, and loud laugh. The soldiers made their way towards her but she didn't seem to notice, her eyes were closed tightly and tears were coming out. Everyone was looking now. She doubled over, her stomach hurting, and her breath leaving her. A slight tremor made it's way through the building as she lost control of her Voice for a brief moment, so brief however that some in the inn hadn't even noticed it. They were all staring at her, some confused, some angry, some just fascinated to see what was going to happen.
After almost a solid minute and a half of this, she stopped laughing. She wiped her eyes, caught her breath, and had to take slow deep ones to keep from going back into a fit. She finally notice the three men in Stormcloak uniforms in front of her, "Yes, lads," she began," something I can help you with?"
The bigger one reached and picked her up by her clothes, bringing her to his eye level, "Is there something you find humorous here, Breton?"
She stifled a laugh,"Yes, you, you simple minded fool!" And she began to laugh again.
The other Stormcloak to his left, hit her square in the nose with the hilt of his sword, stopping her laugh dead in it's tracks.
"Oof," was the noise she made, she brought her hands up to her nose," what? Can't stand someone who isn't fondling Ulfric balls the same way you are?"
The soldier who grabbed her initially punched her in the stomach, she doubled over, trying to catch her breath, "Let's see how willing you are to say such things in front of the man, himself!" And he began to drag her along towards the exit.
"Yes, please," she said as she brought her hands back up to her face, secretly using restoration magic to heal her broken nose," I'd love the chance to meet the false king and spit in his face, myself. It's been too long since I've seen him."
The Stormcloaks looked puzzled for a moment and continued on. They didn't think they'd actually get her to Ulfric, but maybe Galmar would like a word with her.
-
Galmar Stone-Fist, Ulfric Stormcloak, and Jorlief were in the main hall. Discussing their strategies when suddenly the doors flew open, letting in the famous Windhelm cold and snow. And along with it, what sounded like the ravings of a drunk madwoman.
"Ulfric! You waste, I have words for you!"
Ulfric stood up next to Galmar and looked at the hooded figure making her way towards him, Galmar removed his warhammer from his back, ready to kill this fool.
She was accompanied by three Stormcloaks who looked as if they were regretting bring her here more and more by the second.
"There he is," she said, "Ulfric Stormcloak, the True High King," the sarcasm radiating off of this madwoman,"oh, I'm terrified," she turned back to the ones who brought her here,"I've learned my lesson, lads. I won't say another bad word about him, I swear to you." She made a non-committal shrug and chuckled. Then she straightened up.
"Privates," said Galmar,"would you mind telling me why you've brought this imbecile here? Was it to insult your King?"
"N-no, sir," the one in the back started,"she was talking like this at the inn and-"
"They brought me here because they are as dumb as the men who recruited them." She motioned to Ulfric, Galmar, and Jorlief.
"You insolent, drunken fool!" Galmar made a move toward her and she readied herself.
"Galmar stop," Ulfric said.
"But," Galmar began to protest.
"I'll handle this," Ulfric said as he made his way towards the woman. He eyed her up and down,"Wait, those are Master magic robes. Where did you get those?"
"The College of Winterhold," she stated," I got them when I became a Master. Shortly after becoming the Arch-Mage." Her tone was very matter of fact.
"The Arch-Mage," he said puzzled, then he began to put the pieces together, he had heard this woman's voice before, at The Throat of the World, to talk about a temporary truce," wait," he strode towards her and pulled her hood back, revealing the familiar Breton woman's face," The Dragonborn?"
She nodded, "Hello again, Ulfric. It's been a while. Last time I saw you, you were whining like a child whose sweetroll was stolen."
"The Dragonborn," he began, "comes into my palace, in my city, and insults me to my face in front of all my people, have you gone mad?!"
"Well," she said looking up at the ceiling, "considering I've been to Sovngarde, killed a Master Vampire, and have spoken face-to-face with Hermaeus Mora, I wouldn't be surprised." She looked back down at Ulfric, "Though still not as mad as you. Who started a civil war out of the clear blue sky."
He clenched his jaw, fighting the urge to hit her, "Get out of my sight, you fool."
She rolled her eyes, "Or what, Ulfric?"
"I'll kill you where you stand, I don't care if you're the Dovahkiin."
She chuckled, "I've survived Daedric Princes, Dragon Priests, dragons, and Alduin himself. Do you really think I'm afraid of some Thalmor puppet?"
His eyes widened but before he could say anything Galmar was advancing on her, "How dare you?! You traitorous fiend!"
He raised his warhammer and brought it down with all his might and weight behind it. He was fueled by anger, she easily side stepped and tripped him, knocking him into the three guards behind her. He quickly got up and made to attack her again before Ulfric raised his voice.
"Galmar, stop! I'll kill her myself." Ulfric drew his sword.
Maya smiled, "Touched a nerve, have I? Pity your Thalmor friends aren't he-" was all she got out when she heard those three familiar words. The words she had Shouted countless times over the course of her journeys. Those words that so many bandits, assassins, draugr, dragons, dragon priests, spirits, vampires, werewolves, and so many others had heard before they slammed against a wall or tree.
"FUS RO DAH!" He Shouted without thinking, a blind rage at what she had said. At the idea she had put out there. He aimed the Shout directly at her with everything he had. The same amount of force he had hit High King Torygg with so long ago now. The soldiers behind her flew back, along with some furniture and Galmar's warhammer.
But Maya didn't even flinch. Her robes pressed against her as if a strong wind had hit her and then relaxed against her body. But she didn't move. She stood there, as if nothing had happened and looked Ulfric dead in the eye. He was in disbelief. Everyone in the main hall who had been watching stood still with their mouths agape. Had that really just happened? It was so silent you could have heard a pin drop, when suddenly, a strange sound hit the air. Someone was laughing.
It started low, just a snicker, then a chuckle, and that grew louder and louder until it was a full blown laugh. Maya threw her head back and let loose, her laugh shaking the foundations of The Palace. Her Voice so powerful one of the torches fell off it's sconce. People struggled to keep their balance. And she laughed like that for what seemed like an eternity but in reality, was only a few seconds. She faced Ulfric again.
"You call that a Shout?" Her hands shot out and grabbed him by the neck, pulling his face to hers so quickly he had dropped his sword, "I'll show you a shout."
He struggled in vain to get her off of him, but she was much stronger than she appeared, her grip steely, "Galmar, get her off of me!" His voice shaky.
Galmar reached behind him to grab his warhammer, but it wasn't there, knocked all the way to the entrance when Ulfric had let out his shout. He stood up and ran towards Ulfric and the Dragonborn, ready to die for his King. But he would be too late.
Maya turned his head and leaned close to his ear as if she were going to whisper some secret, but she didn't whisper, "FUS RO DAH!" It was deafening for everyone in the Hall. Windows shattered behind the throne and throne itself was knocked over. Ulfrics head exploded in very much the same manner that Torygg had back when they had had their duel. None of the blood or brain matter got on Maya, all of splattered all over the back wall of The Palace.
Galmar fell to his knees midstride, "NOOO!" He roared as his King's headless corpse hit the floor. She turned in his direction her eyes locking on his, "You foul beast! He was our only hope against the empire! And you murdered him!"
She didn't say anything, just held his gaze.
He stood up, shaking in anger, "You wait here, I'm coming back by nightfall with the might of The Stormcloaks behind me. We will tear you limb from limb. You and anyone you hold dear! And when we're done with you, we're gonna purge the Grey Quarter, the docks, and then move to Whiterun and kill that worthless coward they call a Jarl. And after that, we will move on to the rest of Skyrim."
"Good!" She shouted suddenly, her eyes ablaze, "Come back with all your fools. Bring them to me! Bring all of them to me! I'm hungry," she said in a low dark voice, she grabbed Ulfric's body and tossed it in Galmar's direction with one arm, it landed in a strange spread eagle position, "I've killed your false King and I'll kill all of you! I will wipe the Stormcloaks off the face of Skyrim, you will be a giant bloody smear on the ground when I'm finished with you!"
Galmar's heart beat as fast as it ever had. A rage he had never known before swelled and sang inside him. It took every ounce of willpower to not attack her then and there. Instead he quickly hoisted his King's body over his shoulders and motioned to everyone, "Everyone out! All the guards, everyone here leave! Now."
"You heard him!" Maya shouted, "Everyone out now!"
Everyone in the building made their way out after Galmar. It took about fifteen minutes for everyone to get out. She could hear them shouting outside, calling all the guards and townspeople loyal to the Ulfric to evacuate. It was this commotion that snapped her out of her rage and bloodlust. She fell on her rear and sat with arm on her bent knee. She looked around at the mess in the main hall. Tables flipped over, torches out, glass on the ground. It was only seeing all of this that made her realize what she had done. And what she was going to have to do. By the time this was over, a lot of people were going to die.
"Well, shit."