Author's note: Hopefully I should be able to publish another chapter this week, but I can't make any promises after that as I'm going away for a few weeks and don't know what kind of access to the internet I'm going to have.
Previously on Ekali of the Frozen Heights: Ekali arrived at Kynesgrove just in time to witness Alduin's revival of Sahloknir and exchange a few words with the two. Then Alduin took off and Sahloknir attacked Ekali and Delphine. Once the dragon had been defeated, Delphine finally told Ekali what's going on, and the two discussed what to do next.
6.3 An Invitation
12th – 14th Hearthfire
"I don't think you were followed. Come on, I have a plan." Those words were the first greeting Ekali got when she stepped inside the door of the Sleeping Giant Inn, and then Delphine had turned on her heel and headed into her own room. Ekali quickly followed, sighing before telling Gladio to lie down by the fire and make sure no one followed them.
Once the two women were alone in the secret room and had closed the closet doors behind them the Breton didn't waste any time before launching into the subject of their previous discussion. "I've figured out how we're going to get you into the Thalmor Embassy."
"That didn't take long," Ekali said as the other woman rested her hands against the edge of the table, eyes quickly running over the map.
"I've been doing this a long time, remember? While the Thalmor's been looking for me, I've been watching them, and I've learnt far more than they have."
"So what's your plan? How do I infiltrate the Thalmor Embassy?"
"The Thalmor ambassador, Elenwen, regularly throws parties where the rich and connected cosy up to the Thalmor. You are a Thane of Whiterun. That comes with its own sets of responsibilities and perks. Of course they seem to have dispensed with most of the duties in your case. I doubt anyone would want to take up the important time of the Dragonborn, though it's also possible that they simply doesn't think you know anything about politics. Which, well, I really hope you do have at least a basic comprehension of royal etiquette, because you're going to need it." Delphine smiled sardonically at the khajiit at that. Ekali's eyes furrowed in confusion for a moment before the meaning of the words dawned on her and a look of horrified apprehension appeared on her face.
"Please tell me you're not telling me what I think you're telling me," the khajiit uttered.
"I'm afraid I am. I have a contact inside the Embassy who can get you into the private quarters when you're there and smuggle in some equipment, but you'll have to get in first. The most believable way for that to happen is for you to be a representative of Whiterun, so I really hope you know how to argue, because you're going to need the Jarls go ahead on this one." Ekali groaned in response.
"I'm going to need to wear a dress for this, aren't I?" she asked in a low tone, ears tucked close to her head.
"Yes, I'm afraid that'd be the most appropriate." Ekali sighed, then straightened up and met the Bretons eyes.
"Who's this contact of yours? How are you so sure that I can trust him?"
"His name's Malborn. Wood elf, plenty of reason to hate the Thalmor – they wiped out his family back in Valenwood during one of their purges that we never hear about. Luckily they don't know who he really is, or he wouldn't be serving drinks at the Ambassador's parties. Once you get that invitation he'll meet you in Solitude, at the Winking Skeever – you know it?" Ekali shook her head. "Well, it isn't hard to find. Give him everything you need smuggled into the embassy and then meet me at the Solitude stables. I'll make sure there'll be a carriage waiting for you."
"Once I'm inside the Embassy, then what?" Ekali asked.
"That's when the fun starts. You'll have to slip away from the party without raising the alarm. Then you'll need to find Elenwen's office and search her files. Malborn should be able to point you in the right direction." Delphine straightened up from the table as she met Ekali's eyes.
"Then I'll see you in Solitude."
"Sounds good. Be careful out there."
When Ekali walked into Dragonsreach early in the morning of the 14th of Hearthfire she was walking far too quickly and her fingers were tapping irregularly against her leg. She'd managed to keep her ears in an upright position and a few deep breaths had been enough to calm her heart, but the fear of failure was still prominent in her body language for anyone who knew how to read her.
Jarl Balgruuf was thankfully sitting on his throne, Proventus Avenicci and Hrongar standing on either side of him as the three of them spoke in quiet voices. Irileth stood further down the hall, idly talking to Lydia as the housecarl consumed her breakfast. Her ears twitched slightly at the sight of the housecarl, but she quickly turned her gaze back to the head of the room to see that both the Jarl and Hrongar had switched their attention to her.
Without looking at Gladio, she signed for the wolf to stay by the doors, and then walked up towards the throne when it was made evident that she wouldn't be interrupting the ceased conversation. "My Jarl," she greeted Balgruuf as she sank down on one knee and bent her head before once again rising.
"Yes, Thane. What brings you here?" the Jarl asked as most of the hall grew quiet.
"I have a rather urgent favour to ask of you. I need an invitation to the next party at the Thalmor embassy." The surprise was evident on both the Jarl and his advisers faces after she spoke and Hrongar's eyes grew calculating as he pondered the request.
"That's quite a sudden request. What business do you have with the Thalmor?" the Jarl asked, eyes glancing briefly towards Irileth who's walked closer to the dais and was making sure that no unwanted ears would hear the conversation.
"A friend of mine believes that they may have some information concerning the return of the dragons in Skyrim, and I wouldn't be surprised if that was true," Ekali answered, rolling her shoulders to release the tension as the Jarl thought.
"You're going to head into the Thalmor Embassy, go through their files to find out what they know about the dragons and somehow make it back out alive. What happens if they catch you? Better yet, what happens to us when they find out what you've done?" As Balgruuf spoke Ekali's eyes stayed firmly on him
"You tell them that you had nothing to do with it and that you certainly wouldn't have sent me if you'd known. If it appeases them, you put a bounty on my head." Four pairs eyes widened in surprise at that, Irileth being more than capable of hearing the conversation from her position just off of the dais.
"You'd take that risk? Why?" Hrongar finally spoke up, fixing his eyes upon the Dragonborn as she stared back unflinchingly.
"Because the two largest threats on this continent are the Thalmor and the dragons, they're both focusing their attention on Skyrim at the moment and I have no idea which is the greatest threat or if they're even connected to each other." Her eyes shifted to the Jarl. "I need the answer to that question, and the only place I'm going to get it is from the Thalmor. And I've seen enough of them to know that getting that information won't be easy." Resting his hands on his knees, Jarl Balgruuf watched her silently for a few moments before nodding and turning his head towards Avenicci.
"Write up a missive expressing my regrets that I could not attend the party personally, but that our newest Thane would be more than happy to pass along any messages and that I hope my absence does not cause any trouble," he said to the steward, and the Imperial nodded briefly before leaving the dais to do as asked. The jarl turned his eyes back to the khajiit as Proventus left them. "Do attempt not to make too much of a commotion," he said as Ekali nodded her thanks.
Ekali was walking towards the doors, missive and invitation packed away safely in her bag, when Lydia came at her from the side and took a hold of her arm. The female khajiit didn't protest the action as she was led off into a corner of the hall by the housecarl, waiting until they'd finally stopped to shrug of the Nord's grip and aim a glare at the woman.
"I'm going with you," Lydia ground out as the khajiit watched her, ears prickling with annoyance. "And don't tell me I'm going to get in your way, I already got that message."
"Look, I'm not trying to belittle your training or experience..." Ekali started before Lydia interrupted her with a glare of her own.
"Really? Well, that's exactly what it seems like you're doing," the housecarl said, and the khajiit sighed in exasperation.
"Do you have any experience at all in infiltration? Spying, sneaking, picking locks? That kind of thing. Generally just not making the kind of noise that would tell an elf or a beast that you're coming from a mile away," Ekali said, practically growling in annoyance, and Lydia's glare faltered as she attempted to come up with an answer. "Yeah, didn't think so," Ekali said as she started walking towards the door. Lydia's hand shot out quickly to stop her. The khajiit stopped and glared at her, causing the Nord to let go.
"Look, I realize that I have little to no experience in the kind of work you seem to be quite good at, but that doesn't mean that I can't help. I can't just stand back as you head heedlessly into danger. There must be something that I could do," she said, causing Ekali to sigh as she turned to face Lydia head on.
"Fine. You want to get involved that bad, I'm not going to stop you," Ekali said as she lifted her hand and ran the fingers through the fur on her head. "I've been going through some maps, trying to memorize the area around the embassy as I don't know how I'm going to leave it. Perhaps you could get a couple of horses, take Gladio with you and wait for me at the Statue to Meridia." Lydia nodded as the annoyance finally abated from her features.
"That I can most certainly do," the Nord said with a small smile, and Ekali rolled her eyes.
"Just don't wait any longer than the dawn of the following day. If I haven't gotten to you by then I'm probably caught, and then there won't be anything you can do to help me any more," the khajiit said, meeting Lydia's eyes with her own as she waited for some kind of confirmation.
"Fine," the Nord bit out as the slight smile vanished from her lips and Ekali nodded slightly before turning without a word and heading out of the hall.