Hey again! Already updating because I'm feeling very inspired (And that damned voice in my head always guilt-trips me into it) so here's another chapter!
I'm not exactly sure where I'm going with this story, but we will see.
Enjoy!
Ondolemar sighed, staring at the Elven dagger his fingers were toying with, pausing to look down at letters from the Embassy. It seems that Understone Keep is, once again, dreadfully peaceful and therefore, boring.
"Sir, are you ready to start patrols?" He recognized his soldier's voice and sighed again, standing up. "It appears so." He replied, stepping outside. And they followed him back out to the hallway, where they would pace back and forth all day.
His mind was often far away, in a fantasy of something truly remarkable happening, but he knew would never happen. The doors of the Keep opened, and Ondolemar's head whipped around to stare intensely at whoever entered.
It was that priest from the Hall of the Dead.
His mood dampened even more, and he frowned as he paced once more. His soldiers were usually much louder when clambering around in their armor, but today the seemed to hurry behind him, cowering slightly.
This is the most dreary existence I've ever had the misfortune to experience.
His mind took him back to a few weeks ago, when he'd met that woman in Calcelmo's lab. Vallisara. He still questioned who she was, and what her relationship with Calcelmo and Aicantar was, but sadly, he'd not had enough time to inquire such things, as he had a meeting he needed to go to, and she was only visiting.
He'd not seen the Altmer since. He wondered if she really was telling the truth and she was only visiting briefly. He'd also pondered many times her heritage and where she is from, and what she thinks of the Thalmor. When first talking to her, it seemed like she almost held disdain for the Aldmeri Dominion, which was very peculiar.
Man hated the Aldmeri Dominion, and even a few elves, but Altmer? He'd never heard of an Altmer hating it.
"You look rather irritable."
Ondolemar quickly turned to see Aicantar behind him, an eyebrow raised.
"Rotting away in a rank stone tomb does that to some people." He replied sharply, and continued "Why are you here?"
Aicantar shrugged. "Brought you some Colovian Brandy. Calcelmo said you looked like you needed it." He said while revealing a bottle.
Ondolemar liked Colovian Brandy, but he was not the one to nurse a bottle in public like one of those filthy humans. He said while frowning "I'm not about to drink myself unawares."
Aicantar sighed, and said "Well, you keep it. Calcelmo doesn't like Brandy and I don't drink."
Ondolemar eyed the elf with caution before taking the bottle carefully. He looked at the liquid with distrust. Aicantar released a frustrated sigh and walked off.
Ondolemar looked to his soldier next to him. "Take it to my room." The soldier complied without argument. He looked at his other soldier. She seemed very uncomfortable, and he heard her stomach growl softly. He sighed. "I'm dismissing you for the time being. You may take a break. Take him with you."
She nodded with slight relief while rushing off after the other soldier.
Sighing once more, he turned on his heel and bumped into someone. They both toppled over, flailing hopelessly to catch themselves. He landed on the person, the air deflating from their chest rapidly. Both writhed around in a vain attempt to get up, but they were just getting more and more tangled up.
Today is just not my day.
"Get. Off. Me."
I wiggled in a desperate attempt to get out from under him before he could recognize me, but all six plus feet of him was pinning me. He slowly pushed up to his arms so he was hovering over me. His green eyes locked to my gold and I watched an eyebrow raise inquisitively.
"I wasn't expecting to see you around again."
I sighed in defeat. I was trapped here, and now he knew I wasn't gone, so I'll now be forever questioned. A sad fate. If my brother and uncle weren't here, I'd have already fled from this city, if only to avoid the Thalmor.
Bad memories resurfaced, but I pushed them away, returning my attentions back to the Altmer sitting atop me. "I was hoping you wouldn't." I replied while trying to squirm out from underneath him. He did not move away, like I'd hoped he would. He'd not budged at all, which I found disappointing.
His emerald eyes sparkled in interest, which was very concerning. I finally took a good look at him. He was very handsome, even if he was a snobbish Thalmor. He had long silvery hair, which a few locks had fallen from his hood. He had nice, high cheekbones and the slightly pointed chin. I really hated to admit it, but he was an attractive elf.
He searched my face for a few moments before asking "What are you doing here?"
I frowned, replying with disdain "Hunting trolls. It seems there is one above me." I was hoping for much more of a reaction, like his attempt to burn me alive. That seemed like a much better option than sitting here under his scrutinizing gaze.
He frowned now, which made me feel slightly better, considering my circumstances. "That's not the right way to address a Justiciar, much less someone who has an advantage over you."
I rolled my eyes. "Oh, I'm so very sorry, Justiciar." I laced sarcasm through it, and he obviously noticed it, but made no response besides an eyebrow raise. Even with the venomous and obvious dislike I showed, he did nothing more than raise his eyebrow at me curiously.
What's with this mer?
Usually I would have been strangled for such dishonorable responses to anyone in the Thalmor, especially a high-ranking official. But no, he just sat there, looking at me oddly. And I found that more terrifying than the former response I was actually hoping to get.
He cleared his throat, introducing himself "I do not believe we have formally met." He finally got off me, thank the Eight, and extended his hand. I scowled at it before standing up without his help.
Again, his eyebrows raised quizzically. It seemed to be his forte and the only response I could get from him. He spoke calmly "I'm Ondolemar, Thalmor Justiciar and adviser to the Jarl of Markarth."
I said nothing, as I not only did not want to speak to any Thalmor, but I also found myself annoyed at the mer shoving his titles down my throat. Yet, something was oddly different about him. I couldn't place it.
He was still very snide like most Thalmor you meet, proud and always making sure you know just how inferior you were, but he had something very interesting about him. And I think that's more dangerous than anything else.
He cleared his throat, saying with obvious slight irritation "You do understand that you're now supposed to introduce yourself."
I rolled my eyes. Definitely a purebred Thalmor Justiciar if I ever did see one. I replied "Vallisara."
He frowned slightly. He asked with curiosity that I swear isn't normal, even for the Thalmor (Who I knew were always shoving their nose in other people's business) "Just, Vallisara?"
I sighed and looked to the ceiling to ask the Gods why in Oblivion I had to deal with this. "Vallisara. I don't have fancy titles like you that I constantly shove down people's throats just to prove I'm superior."
"Why not?" He sounded very surprised by this, and another piece of my patience slipped away, and I was sure it wasn't coming back.
This mer has never even thought about stepping out of the Thalmor perspective. Then again, he was probably sheltered from the world, his parents raising him to believe all that nonsense. I responded "Because it's rude."
"Rude?"
"Yeah, its rude. You wouldn't know, of course. No one is rude to the Thalmor without being deemed as a 'lowly being with jealousy of such superiority' and whatever else you call people." I replied while brushing the front of my dark blue mage robes.
"If you'll excuse me, Justiciar, I have other things to tend to." I turned and walked away, leaving the odd Thalmor alone.
He watched as she walked away from him in disbelief. No one had ever spoken to him like that. Or spoke so rudely about the Aldmeri Dominion. Especially another elf.
What in the Gods is with this Altmer?! How can one be so crude and bluntly offensive to her own kind?!
He was slightly enraged by her lack of support to the Thalmor, but he was also very intrigued by it. No one hated the Thalmor without their own reasoning behind it, however trifling and insignificant it may be.
What is the story behind the Thalmor-hating Altmer?
He watched her figure disappear around the corner, and he decided then and there that this mer had more to her than meets the eye, and he was going to discover what exactly that was.
Chapter 2 everyone! Woo. I think writing this is helping me motivate to write my other story too. Thank the Gods, like I haven't made you people wait long enough.
Haha, hopefully I'll be seeing some more reviews on everyone's thoughts, and have a Happy New Year's.
Bye! :D
