Chapter 8

Brewing

We took a cart to Whiterun since it was a location of importance. We would pass travellers too poor or proud to take a ride on the cart, some seemed to leave because they knew what was coming...if Balgruuf denied or accepted Ulfric's offer war would become of Whiterun.

"May the gods watch over your battles, my friend." Balgruuf greeted Conan as we approached. I handed Conan the axe and he presented it to Balgruuf.

"Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak asked me to deliver this axe to you." He adds with a mutter.

"Did he now? The man is persistent, I'll give him that," Balgruuf sighs, "I guess it is time I give him an answer." One of his guards takes hold of the axe and Balgruuf asks for advice.

"As in all things, Lord, caution... I urge is to wait and see." His counsellor advised.

"Prey waits." Irileth cuts in from the right of the Jarl.

"I'm of a mind with Irileth. It's time to act." The Jarl agrees.

"You plan to march on Windhelm?" Asks his counsellor.

"I'm not a fool, Proventus. I mean it's time to challenge Ulfric to face me as a man, or march his Stormcloaks up to the gates." The Jarl confirms.

"He'll do no such thing, a dagger in the back is all we can expect." Proventus insists.

"He was rather straight forward with Torygg." Irileth says meaning the deceased High King.

"Torygg? He simply walked up to the boy and murdered him!" This was going to get me stressed couldn't they just say yes or no?

"That 'boy' was High King of Skyrim." Irileth rephrases and finally the Jarl speaks again.

"I'm not the High King, but neither am I a boy. If Ulfric wants to challenge my rule in the old ways, let him. Though i suspect he'll send his 'Stormcloaks' to do it for him." He does realise that his Thane is a Stormcloak?

"True. He has already proven his personal strength, now he'll want to prove his army's." Irileth added.

"Then might I urge you to accept General Tullius's request? I mean, if you are bent on offending Jarl Ulfric."

"Ulfric is the one who has offended. But, Proventus has a point. Ulfric has it clear in his mind, to refuse his claim is to side with the Empire." Irileth says her arms across her chest.

"And what harm is there to let a few legionnaires die in place of your own men?" Proventus adds cowardly.

"It seems cowardly," there you go.

"Was it cowardly then to accept the White-Gold Concordat?" Irileth asks.

"This again? That was different. Was I given a chance to object to the terms of the treaty? No. The Jarls weren't asked we were told, we had to like it." Heat rises in the Jarl as his anger ascends and spills from his mouth.

"But the chests of gold didn't hurt." That little fool.

"Dammit this isn't about gold!" Balgruuf smack his fist on the wooden arm post.

"It's time to decide." Irileth interrupts and my muscles all relax joyfully, finally!

"Lord, wait, let us see if Ulfric is serious." Proventus makes me want to hit something the little weasel.

"He's serious." I hiss annoyed by how long this is taking.

"So about this axe," Balgruuf continues turning back to Conan and I, "you can return this axe to our friend. The esteemed Jarl of Windhelm has my answer. Make sure he gets it." I grip Conan's sleeve as we reach the door at the end of the hall and listen in just in time to hear. "...Yes...General Tullius." And finally we leave.

Night has covered the sky and so we sleep at the inn with Conan getting the floor. The bard seems fearful of Conan and plays music for free.

"What did you do to him?" I ask sitting down across from him with some Nordic mead for each of us.

"I brawled him for a woman's honour, nothing special." Conan waved away the question.

"Sounds like something you'd do...the brawling but for a woman? And for a man to do it. My mother had to hire a female orc to solve her problems." Conan smiles chewing on his bread recently dipped in chicken gravy.

"Not all men are bad, surely you can agree." I consider this, my brother was horrible but I loved him, my father practically abandoned me and a Daedric Prince cursed me...I'm on the fence with this one.

"What was her name?" I ask changing the subject.

"Does it matter? She's not the first woman I've defended. I helped a woman in Riverwood choose which man she really wanted."

"Quite the charmer. Too bad that none of these women seem interested in you." I say tilting my head.

"Okay, I don't think I'm drunk enough to talk about women to another woman. So, my turn...how did you get beaten by an ice wraith?" This takes me back, I stop swishing around my broth and actually make eye contact.

"I...I hate snow, I hate the cold, I hate it all. I thought they would make me kill a bear or something not go chasing after and ice wraith." I inform taking a swig of the mead.

"Why? You grew up in Skyrim didn't you?" I nod and sigh. He is going to be at your back, might as well show you're weakness...or not.

"When I was thirteen, Lokir and I went to the water while it was still frozen over. Lokir stayed on shore but because of my immortality as a teenager I walked onto the ice. It cracked open and swallowed me up. I held my breath but the ice had closed in over me. I got out because of my magic. I used a fire spell rune on the ice and touched it. The ice exploded and the entire river rushed again. I never went near ice again, I never felt safe or comfortable around it and I certainly never trained in an area with ice." I explain looking back up to see him staring at me curiously.

"Well that's a lot simpler than ideas that I thought of." I smiled and ate the last of my broth.

"So, now I've told you something about me, tell me something about you." I yawn.

"I'm tired." He utters leaving for his mat on the floor. I tip the woman behind the counter and make my way upstairs. I find Conan passed out on the floor with a thin blanket over him. I open the wardrobe and take out the fur blanket throwing it over him. Finally I crawl into bed with a pillow missing thanks to Conan I fall asleep.