Joric lead them towards Windhelm, Geryn taking up the rear and guiding his horse. They walked alongside the mountains for a while longer, eventually coming alongside the river Yorgrim. After a while the road turned and went over a bridge, taking them to the other side of the river. After a few minutes, Joric spotted a small party of Stormcloak soldiers on patrol. He turned around, stopping and panicking slightly. "Erm... will one of you do all the talking here?"
Geryn called back. "I doubt they'll listen to a Breton."
Elwyn nodded. "Or an Elf."
J'zargo joined in. "And definitely not a Khajiit."
Joric sounded nervous. "But what if they recognise me?"
Geryn looked over at the Stormcloaks. They were nearly within earshot. "It doesn't matter, I'm sure you'll think of something!"
"But I don't ever think of things!"
Geryn rolled his eyes. "They're almost here, now! Just talk to them!"
"Ah..."
The Stormcloaks were very close. They stopped as well now, suspiciously placing hands on their weapons. Geryn beckoned Joric to keep walking, so he did. As they passed the Nords, one of them called over. "Joric!" Joric turned around nervously. "I thought for sure you died up at the border!"
Joric stammered slightly, his voice trembling. "Ah, Ralof. Hello."
Ralof laughed. "Yes, hello! So how did you survive, then?"
Joric thought for a moment. "Erm... a healer found me. Yes, a healer found me and fixed me up!"
Ralof spread his arms wide. "And is that healer with you today?"
Geryn walked over and stood beside Joric. "Yes, I am."
Ralof smiled, walking over and heartily patting Geryn on the back. "Well, thank you very much! You've saved this man's life, that's for sure!"
One of the other Stormcloaks called over. "Hey, I wouldn't get too close! I heard that Bretons are part Elf, you might catch something!" The other Stormcloaks chuckled.
Geryn looked at Ralof, who he liked, then at the Stormcloak, who he did not like. "Well, I heard that all Nords are intelligent! You have just proved that wrong, my friend! How do you feel?" The Stormcloaks laughed again, apparently open to any kind of verbal abuse.
Ralof stepped in front of Geryn. "Now, now. No need to-" A rock hit the back of his head. He turned around. "Hey!"
The Stormcloak had another rock in his hand. "Sorry, I was aiming at the half breed." He threw the rock in his hand, and this time it hit Geryn in the shoulder. "Hah! Got him! Not so cocky now, eh?"
Geryn grinned, using telekinesis to quickly a stone slab from the road that the man was standing on into the air. The Nord did a small, amusing dance to stay on his feet. Geryn's face was covered with sarcastic concern. "Oh, how odd. I wonder how that happened! Probably a geyser underground somewhere. How unfortunate."
The Stormcloak was furious. "Shut it, you damned foreigner! This our land, and you're not welcome on it!"
Geryn laughed. "Well, legally speaking this land belongs to Emperor Titus Mede II, take it up with him if you're so concerned." Elwyn smirked at Geryn's smart comebacks.
The Stormcloak picked up on Elwyn's amusement. "Hey, Elf! I don't know what you're smiling about, it's you kind that would see the Emperor overthrown!"
Elwyn folded her arms. "Says the Stormcloak."
"Go back to starting wars, Elven bitch!"
Elwyn wasn't phased. "Ha! Like I say: Says the Stormcloak."
"Did you just call me an Elven bitch?"
J'zargo stepped forward. "Ah, the endless stream of intelligence you are producing is incredible. Please, enlighten us further."
"What did you say, you damned cat? I'll feed that tail to you if you're not careful!"
J'zargo grinned. "Or I could feed you your tail!"
The Nord looked behind him. "What? I don't have a tail!"
Elwyn shrugged. "You probably do, it's just too small to see."
"No I don't!" He put his hands on his rear to make sure. "Well it must be really small! There's nothing I can feel!"
J'zargo chuckled. "Oh, so mine is bigger than yours?"
"Of course it is! I don't even have one!"
Elwyn nodded. "We know."
The Nord pulled out his great sword, which was as big as he was. "You're asking for trouble!"
Geryn looked the blade up and down. "Compensating?"
The Nord was furious. "What? You think you're so clever, using words I don't know, don't you?"
Geryn nodded. "Well I am pretty clever."
"How's this for clever?" The man dived forward, bringing his sword up into the air ready to drop onto Geryn's head.
Geryn rolled his eyes and casually cast a ward in front of him, causing the Nord to glance off the blue light and hit the floor face first. Geryn held out his hand. "Need a hand?"
The Nord slowly got to his feet. "No! I doubt you have the strength to help me up, you weak mage!"
Geryn rolled his eyes. "Well, I can lift things relatively easily actually..." He sent another road slab out from under the Stormcloak's feet and into the air. Geryn, Elwyn and J'zargo laughed. Joric looked slightly awkward.
The Nord was back on the floor again. Ralof intervened. "Now, now. Let's just leave this here..."
"Alright..." Geryn gestured down the road, containing his laughter. "Come on, we shouldn't waste any more time."
They walked away, continuing down the road. Ralof helped the enraged Nord to his feet, holding him back once he was up. They carried on walking to the sound of a constant stream of racist abuse, all laughing at the man's idiocy. They arrived outside Windhelm about an hour later, leaving the horse at the stables -which were ironically tended by an Elf- and approaching the huge city gates, which were being guarded by a pair of bulky Stormcloaks.