Eco stood by the stairs leading to the palace. He looked at what he could see in the center of the city, which was an inn and the tops of housing on the other side of the wall. The other wall fully hid another portion of the city he would have to walk to. Windhelm was deep in snow, winter really setting into the country and Eco had to pull his cloak tighter around him. He felt Sonny snuggle closer to his body, feeling warm around his belly and he let his hands wander to keep the bird in position. He walked down the steps back to where he had entered the city. The that passed him by stared at him, not even bothering to hide it as they even got close to see if there was a way to look under the mask. There wasn't, of course, since it was always sealed to his skin completely. He had made sure that no one would be allowed to peak underneath it and he was proud that his attempts had worked so far. All he had to worry about was someone sneaking in on him while he was sleeping, but he figured he could depend on Sonny.
He stepped in front of the inn and looked at both areas he could walk into. The Gray Quarter the woman yesterday had mentioned peaked his interest, so he turned and went there to check it out. Eco turned his face down as the wind continued to whip harshly and he felt annoyed people at this. He would still be sitting at his home, enjoying what gave him pleasure. But because of the insistence of Nords for him to pick a side, he was driven out and into the arms of Ulfric Stormcloak. May those arms belong to a good-looking man, Eco was still irate nonetheless and would rather be at his home. He stood at the top of the hill down to the Gray Quarter and he paused, unsure if he really wanted to venture further down.
There was a sense of depression and economic downfall just around the corner and he felt disgusted just thinking about setting foot down there. He looked back to the opening of the city and the noise from the market on the other side, feeling a bit more relaxed with the condition of it. He turned back to the hill and walked to the Gray Quarter, seeing how dark it really was and the people walking the dirty streets. He would pass by each one laying in the corners with dirty rags and few possessions. He would give them a few coins and wish them blessings of the Dunmer religion before continuing to walk around. Eco looked up to the walkways above him they built as makeshift homes and saw them huddled up against the cold
Children sat behind the walls and in small alleyways, thick fabric draped over them as they played with cards or small toys their parents had made for them. He kneeled and gave them some coin as well, whispering for them to get whatever they liked from the store across from them. He was a little hurt by their scared expressions at the sight of him but he could not blame them. The mask always scared small children and he debated whether he should at least lift it for them, but his worries fought against it. Children spoke too much and if word got out that a bunch of them all knew the face of the Dragonborn, it could lead to disaster for him. He shivered at the thought of what the future might hold if someone were to learn about him.
Eco continued to look around, handing out coins to those who needed it and speaking with the adults. He was not too shocked that they could all trace this back to the Nords and their racist Jarl. His eye twitched hearing the abuse they endured from the people above and how their living conditions were barely tolerable. They also chirped about the name of their district itself and he felt that there was civil unrest brewing for quite a while, possibly before Ulfric took the throne. He was a little perturbed by the treatment of the Argonians at the dock and the sheer racism thrown their way. Although some of their concerns were true for individuals, he found it irritating that they would pin a few characteristics on the whole race itself. Even the oppressed can put down others as well, he thought with a shake of his head.
He paused after a few steps out of the district and turned back, feeling something watching him again. It was a tugging feeling on his senses and he wasn't amused when he found nothing to explain why it was happening. He looked down as Sonny squirmed around and buried his cold beak into his stomach. He shivered and jumped a bit before turning away and walking back to the inn. Eco felt the sense even more as he made his way over to the market, curious of what they had to offer him. He went to the blacksmith and seemed excited, clipping off his dual swords from his belt and handing them over to be fixed. He knew he had placed chips in them somewhere and the metal was weakening, so he was relieved when the blacksmith was willing to fix them. Most would tell him that he was more than welcome to do it himself and he was too embarrassed to admit that he didn't know how.
He took another look around, seeing a few weapons and food stalls calling out prices and their goods for the morning. Behind them was another shop, which looked to be for potions and he was excited to see it. He needed replenishment after his long journey here and some could help him with hunting when he felt the urge to it. He was very excited but was a bit disappointed at the lack of general goods store. He knew there was one by the Gray Quarter and he decided he would take a trip to it to see what the owner had for sale. There were probably other shops and he looked back, wondering if he should walk through it again. Eco shook his head and decided it would be best to do it another day instead of looking like a creep stalking through there. He paused when he felt the presence again and he sharply turned, only seeing the citizens of Windhelm behind him and he felt uneasy.
There was something following him, he knew, and he didn't like how good it was at sneaking around. That was starting to piss him off and he walked to the large housing in the far corner, hearing the soft shuffle of snow now that he was alone and far from other noise. He grinned and turned sharply into a tight alleyway, hiding behind the nearest corner wall and waiting for whoever was following him. He heard a soft female voice as his pursuer drew closer to them and he shook his head, not in the mood for some sort of fangirl that was as curious as the rest of them about his mask. Eco watched her step by him and he pulled out his knife from his boot, poking her gently in the back and watching her spin quickly to see the blade now at her throat. "Who are you?" he demanded.
She was pretty. He had to give her that since she nearly took his breath away. How someone could be so stunning was beyond him and he was nearly lost for words. Her black hair was long and lightly dusted in the falling snow. Her bands were brushed back to the side and only hanging over her left eye, whose color was an icy blue. It fared well against her pale skin and dark freckles that dusted over her face. She was startled and worried now as she glanced ever so slightly at the knife in his hand. He had to grip it more since her looks almost made him drop it and want to stare at her for hours. Eco wasn't the type of guy for ladies, rather preferring the company of a man, but he knew when someone was beautiful. This girl was the definition of it if he were to be so brave to declare. The girl swallowed thickly and put her hands up, occasionally glancing at the blade in worry. "My name is Bryleca Windrime, serah..." she answered, trying to take a step back without him getting angry. "And why are you following me? Don't you know that's a little creepy?" he asked, narrowing his eyes a little. He softens his gaze when she seems to shift side to side nervously.
"I wanted to a-apologize…" she mumbled, looking away as Eco seemed confused. "Apologize for wha-"
"IT WAS ME THIS MORNING WHO TRIED TO LOOK AT YOU!"
"Wha… what?" Eco was shocked at her outburst and momentarily caught a case of amnesia as he tried to remember. Then he realized she was talking about the servant who tried to peek at his face. "I CAME INTO YOUR ROOM AND YOUR MASK WAS OFF AND I WANTED TO LOOK BUT THEN YOUR BIRD CAME OUT AND WAS LIKE 'SQWAA' AND I PANICKED AND RAN AND THEN I FELT BAD SO I CAME HERE TO SAY I'M SORRY!" Bryleca cried, bowing her head to avoid his eyes and startling him with her loud voice and quick tongue.
"So, you stalked me!?"
"Yeah…"
"You could have approached me at the palace if you were sorry!"
"I know that now! I'm sorry sir… I was just very worried that you would be furious that I invaded your personal space and I didn't want to get shouted to death…" Bryleca sighed softly and rubbed the back of her head, feeling even more embarrassed now. "I really wanted to know what you looked like, but I shouldn't have evaded your privacy. I know there is a reason behind it and I should respect it. I know what I have done is wrong and you have all right in the world to be angry with me. Please forgive me, serah…" She closed her eyes and bit her lip, worried now as she heard nothing from him until a gloved hand touched her chin and made her look up to him.
He was smiling so politely and she felt a little at ease that he wasn't red in the face and screaming at her. "I know… I would have been curious about my face too so I won't blame you. All I ask is that you never do that again." Eco smiled as she nodded and looked him in the eye. She seemed calmer and a little happier, so he took her hand and brought it close to his lips. "I am Eco Ceralius. I am the Dragonborn and guest of Jarl Ulfric. It's nice to meet you Bryleca." he kissed her hand softly and chuckled at how excited she seemed. "Oh! Yay-uh… good terms! I know! We should be friends to help fix the bridge between us," she lost her smile when he frowned at that and looked away, rubbing her arm. "Oh uh… yeah, I'm a servant… Someone as important as you wouldn't be friends with me…" She trailed off a multitude of times and Eco was quickly shaking his head.
"Oh no! I don't care for your status in society! I am not that noble myself despite the titles. I just don't make friends, you know? I don't let people get close… just in case." He explained, seeming to mumble the last part. "Just in case?" she asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked away and turned to the opening of the alleyway. "I would rather not talk about it… It's freezing Bryleca, let's get you back into the palace since you aren't exactly dressed for this weather." Eco gently grabbed her arm and pulled her to the palace gently, only looking at her when she chirped in about Nords and the cold. "Oh yes... I forgot your people had no issue with cold weathers. Then I guess I am the one who is far too cold." He laughed with her and guided her through the districts to get to the palace. He inwardly sighed when Bryleca brought up a friendship.
"Are you sure about not wanting friends! I won't make you tell me things you don't want to! Besides, having a friend in a place you're not familiar with is better than nothing." She tried, watching him pause and think over what she had said. She smiled as he turned to her and she clapped her hands excitedly. "You're not wrong there… Fine. I will be your friend in this palace, Bryleca. We can both be there for each other with support and care." Eco patted her head as she bounced around cheering.
Eco looked to the fine clothes that sat in his bed with a look of distaste. This would never be his usual clothing choice but Galmar had approached him with an angry look and told him to dress nicely for dinner. Eco had no way to escape this and his ribs were sore from the man almost punching the clothes through his chest. So, he dressed and brushed through his hair as he heard the swish of water from Ulfric's room. The man was taking a bath, he figured and it took him a couple of minutes to banish the naughty thoughts that would creep into his mind. He let out a sigh and cursed never accepting the sexual invitations that were given to him. Maybe if he were to have had sex and lost his virginity early on, he wouldn't have the thought process of a horny teenager whenever there was a dominant male around him. Especially with a man, he didn't have a lot of good things to say about. Life was a cruel mistress for giving him crude thoughts about someone he had a distaste for. He pushed the mental images to the furthest corners of his mind and proceeded to dress in the dinner clothes, having Sonny turn around so he wouldn't be watched.
Eco looked at himself in a mirror and wanted to cry at the sight of it. He was fine with his clothing that he enjoyed wearing since it offered him flexibility and speed. But this outfit was too fancy and too thick for his taste that he just wanted to burn it and curl back up with his regular clothing. But he swallowed down his disgust and turned to the door, walking out of it to face this dinner head on. He tripped against the frame and collided into someone. He knocked them to the ground by accident, falling on top of them with a grunt. Eco rubbed his head and sat up, sitting in their lap and trying to make the throbbing disappear from hitting his head on their muscles. When he looks down to them, Ulfric is staring back with red in his face and water glistening in his hair. They lock eyes with each other and just stare for the longest time before he realizes his IN Ulfric's lap and his hands are resting on his chest.
In this position, I could be riding him, Eco thought before he paled. He jumped off quickly and launched himself into his room, yelling about needing to braid his hair while slamming the door closed. He laid there on the ground with a look of utter disgust and horror that a thought like that had passed through his mind. Eco sat up and braided his hair, still looking horrified and hearing Ulfric slowly get up and walk to the war room where they were setting up the meal in a form of privacy. In that position, I could be riding him, Eco thought in disbelief. Of all the things to pop into my head, it had to be that! He was acting too much like a horny teenager and it was becoming a hindrance on his life.
He eventually made his way down after finishing his braids, fully showing the rest of the mask around his head. He paused when he overheard them talking, perking up when they mentioned Balgruuf and his heart fluttered. "You mean to send him a stronger message?" he heard Ulfric inquire and he frowned. "Exactly. Whiterun is at a pinnacle point and if that coward refuses to help us, we will have no choice but to take his city by force." Galmar explained, his boots clicking against the stone as he paced around the table. Eco grew disgusted with that and seemed to hate Galmar even more. Him and his stupid bear hat. "I would like to avoid any death if we could. Taking over the city and throwing its Jarl to the streets would send a message to all the other holds and the Imperials." Eco stepped out after Ulfric spoke, staring them down with a disgusted look and ignoring the flush of red on Ulfric's cheeks.
"You will do no such thing to Balgruuf! Make one move to storm his city and I will meet you there by his side to drive you back." Eco threatened, glaring at Galmar as he looked like he was trying to make himself appear bigger than Eco. It was hard though since he was taller than them and easily towered over. "This does not concern you." The man growled, watching the Dragonborn move closer to the set table. "When you're threatening the ones I care about, it does." He replied, stepping closer to the Nord. His golden eyes glowed from his anger and he looked ready to pounce on him. Ulfric swore he could feel the rage radiating off him. But it could have been the dragon blood coursing through his veins. He quickly intervened and pushed the two away from each other. "Please, let's be civil. We have a dinner to dig into after all and it will get cold if we keep arguing!" Ulfric shoved the pair into seats and hastily opened a bottle of wine, pouring himself a glass before handing it over to Galmar.
The air was still tense as they passed around the bottle, but there was hope that it would soothe everyone. Eco looked up when the Jarl started to speak, introducing the man he was cross with. "Eco… this is my good friend and my second in command Gal-" "Galmar Stone-Fist. I've heard much about him and his feelings toward anyone who refuses to play a part in your war." Eco interrupted, looking over to the man with a small smirk. "I already know he deems me a coward for not fighting but this isn't my country and this isn't my fight. I could hurt a lot of innocent people and I don't think either side is in the right. Plus, I am from Cyrodiil, so I'm sure your friend is already believing I am in allegiance to the Empire."
Galmar slowly nodded his honesty and Ulfric contemplating kicking his friend to get him to shut up. He didn't want to risk losing his only chance at winning, so he quickly steered the conversation into something more favorable. "So," he cried, getting their attention as he swished his drink around and looked between the two of them.
"Why don't you tell us about yourself, Eco?"
So there's a new girl to add to the mix and Eco is a horny son of a bitch. Hope you guys enjoyed that cliche "falling into his lap" thing.