The next few days were filled with heavy storms and chilly wind, winter was coming quickly and it would be a long one.
Jasper has switched out of the day shift and back into the night shift, sporting a pair of thick leather gloves and a heavy yellow cloak to stave off the chill. The stalls in the market place were closed down for the season and all of Whiterun's citizens were flocking to the Bannered Mare for warmth.
The Thalmor agents remained in Dragonsreach, occasionally taking a walk outside and surveying the area, taking all precautions to avoid all nords. Cymbeline and Onmund had gone off to Bravill for the winter, the imperial couldn't stand Skyrim's winters and always made a trip home to visit her family. Jasper sighed, almost feeling bad for her nord husband, but he seemed not to mind and was seen with her almost all the time, perhaps they had come to a sort of harmony between them.
Watching the gates had its perks, he knew exactly who came in and out of the city, but it was also bitter cold out, the rain soaking his cloak and the icy winds whipping the flames of the torches around until they almost went out. Unlike his other posts, Jasper had someone to talk with, although they hardly exchanged little more than a nod of the head.
The pounding of hooves in the mud raced up to Jasper as a horse skidded to a halt, spraying icy cold mud into the air, it's rider breathed heavily and held out a black gloved hand clutching a letter with a name scrawled on the front.
"Get this to Justiciar Imarrine immediately!" The rider commanded, out of breath as Jasper hardly grasped the letter before the horse turned away and galloped out of Jasper's view.
"If I were you I wouldn't give it to her." The guard across from Jasper spat, pushing himself off the wall "Probably contains battle plans."
A frown burrowed its way onto Jasper's face, while the guards were loyal to Whiterun they were torn apart politically.
"What if it doesn't?" Jasper questioned, watching as the guard tensed and looked away.
"I still wouldn't, I don't trust those highelves." He sneered, leaning back against the wall as Jasper tucked the letter away under his cloak. He'd give it to the Justiciar the moment he could.
It wasn't until later that Jasper managed to make his way to Dragonsreach, the wind cutting through his clothes as he fought to keep the letter in his grip. He forced the doors of Dragonsreach Dungeons and stepped inside, closing them behind him and receiving a wall of warm air.
The Justiciar turned as the door closed, her eyes narrowed at the nord that stood before her in a mud covered cloak. He waked towards her as she remained calm, magic sparking in her palm as her other hand reached for the glass dagger at her waist.
Her eyes caught on the movement beneath his cloak and she reacted naturally.
The dagger was pressed against his throat and magic crackled in her hand, a piece of folded paper was held out before her face as she blinked and dropped the dagger from the nords neck, hearing a sigh of relief as the dagger vanished beneath her robes. She opened the letter, eyes scanning across the script quickly and snapping back up to watch the nord stand there.
"When did you get this?" She snapped, waiting for a response.
"An agent on a horse gave it to me to deliver to you." The nord explained, watching as the high elf before him refrained from showing emotion as she calmly folded the letter and slid it under her robes.
"When."
"Earlier this evening."
The elves amber eyes burned with a rage that died the moment it flared up.
"Next time you will report to me right away." She declared, keeping her mind level headed.
"Yes ma'am." The nord responded as she turned.
"Back to your post." She ordered, listening to the shuffle of boots and the door creaking open, the cold air returned for a moment as the door closed behind him, with the nord gone she drew the letter out and read over the text again.
'Imarrine,
I appreciate your offer to bring the courier to the Embassy through the winter, but we can't risk the move until after winter has passed.
-Elenwen'
Imarrine folded the letter once more and slid it back into it's hiding place among her robes, looking towards the Stormcloak Courier as he laid hunched over in his cell, eyes closed. Keeping him under control with nightshade was one of her many jobs while she and her guards were in Whiterun, for she couldn't properly interrogate him until she was at the embassy and had her tools of trade.
Checking to make sure the Courier was out, she flung her hood over her face and collapsed back into the chair, resting her head in her hand and closing her eyes for a what would seem like a few minutes.
Jasper glanced around the soldiers barracks by the front gates, since he had been moved to a different post, Irileth had moved him and several other guards to the frontal barracks.
The barracks were mainly empty, save for a few beds filled with the sleeping form of fellow guards.
Jasper had draped his cloak over the back of a chair, watching as water dripped off it into a bucket he had set up after he had washed the mud out of the cloak. It was a ritual he had done with the other guards to keep up Whiterun's appearance, every night after patrol.
Laying back he pulled the large sheet of fur over his body and burrowed into the pile of hay that cushioned the bed, sleep almost overcoming him until the doors to the barracks burst open.
A young guard stumbled in, blood running from his arm that was bent at an unnatural angle, his helmet was torn off his head and his armor was torn and blood stained. The sword he held had been broken, and his shield stuck out of his broken arm.
"Dragon!" He shouted as Jasper's blood ran cold, without Cymbeline there how were they to fend them off once more?
"How big?" Jasper asked as he stumbled out of his bed and dug underneath for his extra cloak.
"I don't, I don't know. It just dove out of the sky!" The young man cried as Jasper tossed on his cloak and shoved his hands into his gloves, all around him the clamor of others waking up and equipping their gear.
"Go to the temple of Kynareth and get that arm look at." Jasper ordered as he passed the young guard and stormed out the door. A roar tore through the air once more as ice leapt over the wall and cascaded down.
Citizens opened their doors and peaked their heads out, watching as Jasper raised his shield and deflected the ice from hitting him.
"Get back inside!" Jasper shouted as he tore off through the streets, he had to let the Jarl know.
As he tore through the streets he caught sight of the gilded armor of Imarrine's guards through the confusion, but that was for an instant when the new Harbringer of the Companions stepped out and stopped him.
"What's going on here?" The shorter Bosmer asked meekly, fully clad in the Companions armor with Wuuthrad slung across his back.
"Dragon." Jasper breathed as the Bosmer's eyes widened.
"Cymbeline?"
"In Bravill."
"I'll get my friends." The Bosmer called back as he turned and raced back to Jorrvaskr, armor clanking as Jasper took a breath and continued his run to Dragonsreach.
He burst through the doors and sprinted up the stairs, everyone watching him as he skidded to a halt before the jarls throne, falling to his knee, Jasper bowed his head and lifted it.
"Dragon, at the front gate." Jasper reported as the room froze, the Jarl grew pale and Irileth reached for her sword.
"Get all the men out there." Irileth ordered as Jasper turned to run back to the front lines, his legs pumping and breath emitting into the air in puffs of white.
The front gate was barricaded already and many of the citizens were being evacuated through the front barracks to the Dungeons of Dragonsreach. Drawing his sword once more, Jasper readied himself besides his fellow guardsmen, he could hear the Companions collecting together with their Bosmer leader at the front.
Imarrine's eyes snapped open as she heard a myriad of concerned voices drawing closer, she pushed herself off the table and onto her feet. A grate in the floor of one of the cells was popped open, a guards head popped out and glanced around before the guard hoisted himself up.
"What is going on?" Imarrine inquired sharply as the guard looked at her and a scoff emitted from the iron helmet.
"Wouldn't you like to know."
"Don't scoff, I implore you tell me why you would be keeping your citizens below a dungeon." She demanded, having grown tired of the Nordic treatment towards her kind.
"Damn dragon is what's going on." The guardsman sneered as Imarrine frowned and looked towards her own prisoner. Turning on her heel she walked towards the door exiting the dungeons, allowing magic to flow down her arms and through her palms.
She flung the door open and came face to face with her two guards.
"Stick close, we need to keep the dragon at bay." She ordered curtly, storming past her guards and listening to them follow her lead.
"Why are we intervening in these peoples' fight?" Her right hand guard asked as Imarrine almost halted her stride.
"If that dragon reaches Dragonsreach, we lose our prisoner." She snapped "Now, let's go."
Jasper held up his shield as the gates splintered open, fragments embedding themselves into the ground around him and through his shield.
"To victory!"
Jasper rushed forwards, sword brandished and slashing across the dragons scales. He leapt back as the Dragon turned to face him, racing away from its maw as ice pelted out and into the ground.
He passed the Bosmer as he ducked beneath a wing, holding up Wuulthrad and breaking through the thick hide, blood splattering to the ground as the Bosmer sped away and out of sight.
The dragon released a roar as it whipped around and faced Jasper with burning eyes. His blood ran cold as the dragon opened its maw once more, there was a moment when he knew he would die.
He closed his eyes.
And heard the clash of steel.
Jasper eyes peaked open and widened at what he saw. The Thalmor agents stood there, shields pressed into the dragons maw, breaking its fangs and redirecting the ice to the sides where it froze mid air, pelting onto the walls and ground. The Justiciar stood between her guards, glass dagger drawn and empty hand holding the maw open, an ethereal armor cloaked her hand and down her arm to her shoulder.
Sweat dripped down her face as her heels dug into the ground, her glass dagger shot forewords and embedded itself deep into the roof of the dragons mouth, breaking through its thick hide and dripping with a fowl black blood.
The high elf stumbled backwards, her hand covered in the black blood and ethereal gauntlet vanishing. Her two guards pulled away as Jasper realized she left the knife in there, the dragon laid motionless for a few seconds, enough for her to grab his hand and pull him behind a wall.
Before the dragon could move completely a ripple of words shot forewords, pushing the dragon to its side and allowing an arrow to pierce its exposed underside. The dragon released a drawn out roar before it's body began to flake away in bits of embers. An ethereal light flowed out and towards a figure that stood on the walls, bow in hand and a second figure in tow.
"Did you miss me?" Cymbeline smiled as she climbed down from the wall, three heavy cloaks fell around her as she released the spell that was her bow and allowed herself a shiver.
The rest of the night was spent cleaning up after the dragon, moving the bones and getting the injured to the temple.
Cymbeline and Onmund had returned to Breezehome after checking for any other possible dragon attacks, the imperial thane shivering violently even under the layers of cloaks.
The high elf and her guards returning to the Bannered Mare for the night with little more than a few words and the process of retrieving her knife, which Jasper had learned was dipped in an extremely potent paralysis potion made with ingredients native to the Summerset Isles.
Jasper himself finally collapsed into his bed and fell asleep quickly. With Cymbeline back, he'd have a lot of work to be doing.
Hello once more readers, here we have a long chapter and a post update. I really appreciate the reviews received for this fanfic, it makes it so worth writing. So, this post update, chapters should be posted on Wednesday and Saturday so take a gander at the upcoming chapters when they appear.
Once again, reviews and constructive criticism is very well appreciated. I shall see you next time.
