Wow its been a while, I have had writers block something bad. Hopefully its gone now. Unfortunately I can't make that promise but I can try and get chapters out quicker than I have. I am really sorry it took so long, but I hope you enjoy the chapter, and let me know what you think.

Argis knocked softly on Dovahkiin's office door. He felt pity for the Thalmor agent in the cell, now he was about to persuade Dovahkiin into talking with the man. He wondered vaguely if that would be possible.

"Enter!" Dovahkiin's voice growled from the other side. Argis flinched, it seemed someone had already pissed Dovahkiin off, it didn't bode well for this conversation.

"My Thane, I wish to speak of the Thalmor we have locked up in the dungeon," Argis began as he cracked the door open and poked his head through the crack.

"Take a seat. Does he have any useful information?" Dovahkiin asked, leaning back in his chair, hoping the man finally gave in.

"He said, he is willing to tell you everything," Argis answered, hope filled him when Dovahkiin didn't have a snide comment.

"About time," Dovahkiin muttered with a sigh of relief. "What about that other one?"

"Miraak's working on him right now," Argis answered, his mouth twisting in disgust. He should have guessed that the first dragonborn would be a good torture.

"Tell Miraak not to harm him as much as the other. The informant will be easy to break," Dovahkiin ordered.

"What of the Thalmor?" Argis asked quietly.

"Have him escorted here after he has had a bath, and then have food brought here. Hopefully he has useful information. We need to find out who is leading them here in Skyrim." Dovahkiin explained.

"Where is Breland?" Argis asked when he noticed a large stack papers on Dovahkiin's desk.

"It seems a female caught his attention and he is planning on wedding her and bringing her back here," Dovahkiin answered with a shake of his head. "Hopefully, he will be back within a week."

"You should have someone take his place until he returns," Argis suggested and exited quickly when he noticed Dovahkiin's scowl turned darker.

Dovahkiin stared at the map on the wall, he had thought he knew these lands pretty well, but he couldn't figure out where the vampire lair would be. A few men had returned with locations, but they had been small dens, and any that had been killed there weren't that powerful and there had been no sign of Vorstag.

A tired sigh left him, he wasn't even sure Vorstag was still living. Their connection was very faint and that gave him hope the man still lived. Whatever had happened to him, had done something major to their connection and couldn't be explained by any dragon. He still couldn't believe that any dragon that followed him didn't have an answer.

"My Thane, Jarl Ulfric will be here in a weeks' time," Lydia murmured as she softly opened the door.

"Was there any demands?" Dovahkiin asked, taking a seat once more.

"Not that I know of, Breland had taken care of that detail before he left," Lydia answered with a shrug. She thought about asking what was bothering Dovahkiin, but thought better of it. Her thane never shared with people until he was ready.

"Anything else?" Dovahkiin asked as he stared at the map on the other side of the room.

"Miraak wanted to talk with you," Lydia said, before closing the door. That was one thing she didn't understand, Dovahkiin's relationship with the older dragonborn. It made no sense, and she didn't like it. Miraak had tried to kill them in Solthiem and he was a slave with no bounds.

He thought about going to see what Miraak wanted but didn't bother, the older dragonborn was already on his way here. He wasn't sure what to do with him. Miraak was supposed to be a slave, but he had somehow started gaining his trust. He didn't know when it started or how, but it had happened.

Dovahkiin smirked at the door when it opened and Miraak stepped through. This time he was wearing regular linen pants and shirt. His robes somewhere but surprisingly he was not wearing them. "Something you wanted?"

"Our new prisoner, I won't be torturing him, but that dragon demands that I do," Miraak hissed.

"Why?"

"He's weak, either you or I can scare the information out of him, he doesn't need torture Dovahkiin," Miraak stated. "If you still wish for him to be tortured then you are turning into the one thing you didn't want to become. Remember how the dragons ruled, you'll be like that, is that what you want?"

"No, not after everything you've shown me," Dovahkiin sighed, flinching slightly at the thought. "not after everything you've shown me."

"Then I'll let you deal with the prisoner," Miraak stated and started heading for the door.

"Miraak, why haven't you asked to learn more shouts?"

"What would be the point? The dragons would want you to put me into one of those cells if they thought I was becoming more powerful. Now, they leave me alone." Miraak answered with a shrug.

"Once you wanted power, but now you shun it when you have the opportunity? It makes no sense," Dovahkiin muttered, watching the older dragonborn carefully.

"I prefer not to be a prisoner, I prefer not to be hunted by the dragons. For years I ruled, fought to keep my rule, now I don't have to and still have the power I once had," Miraak answered with a smirk.

"You're still a prisoner," DOvahkiin growled.

"Am I? Could have fooled me," Miraak mocked before walking out.

Dovahkiin watched him walk out, thinking hard about his word. Did he really give Miraak that much freedom, was he allowing too much and opening himself to betrayal? He hoped not.

~ooooooooooooooooooooo~

Dovahkiin glared at the prisoner before him. So the Thalmor wanted to rule all. That wasn't news to him, but they needed him out of the way. He should have guessed that. Though, they didn't want him dead, they wanted him under their sway and if he didn't do fall in line, they were figuring out ways to take his mind and make him a puppet for them. There was no way in the nine that was going to happen.

This prisoner had made up his mind, the Thalmor needed to be wiped out and that was exactly what he was going to do. If Ulfric Stormcloak didn't like his way, then he would fight this war on his own. He had enough Jarl's backing now, that he could start an army on his own. But his main problem, was the war that was going on, that is the only thing stopping him right now.

His other problem, Vorstag. He was still missing, and they needed to find out where the vampires had taken him. He couldn't fight two wars at the same time, but it looked like he had no choice. The Vampires had started this and he couldn't ignore it or he would look weak to the dragons. That would cause another war. There was no way he could survive three wars, no one could, not at the same time.

So now he would have tread carefully, plan every detail, and watch his back. He would have to involve the Jarls as much as possible, also the dragons. He needed them for this war, but they wouldn't do it for nothing, he knew this. But what could he give them that wouldn't put them in power once more. He would have to think that through carefully.

~ooooooooooooooooo~

Balgruuf stared at the missive in his hand. It was from Dovahkiin warning him that he was siding with the Stormcloak if they agreed to his terms. Balgruuf knew he would have to side with them or lose his throne. It wasn't said in the note, but he knew Ulfric wouldn't want anything short of that.

He trusted Dovahkiin, but he hoped the man knew what he was doing. Siding with Ulfric wasn't the smartest of moves, but he knew of Dovahkiin's hatred of the Thalmor and siding with the Imperials would be siding with the Thalmor in Dovahkiin's eyes.

Quickly he wrote out a note stating his worries, he passed to one of the guards, "Make sure this gets to Dovahkiin quickly." He ordered.

"Do you wish me to give it to the dragon that is waiting on the balcony?" the guard asked.

"What dragon?" Balgruuf asked quickly.

"The one who is awaiting word from you," the guard asked, his voice shaky.

"Why wasn't I informed of this?" Balgruuf yelled as he pushed his way past the man.

He rushed quickly to his balcony to find the red dragon there. He stopped dead, Dovahkiin wasn't and yes they were sort of on good terms with the dragons but that didn't mean much. This dragon could make his life as Jarl a nightmare if it decided that it was going to fly over Whiterun to scare the citizens. He knew the dragon wouldn't do anything, or face the wrath of Dovahkiin.

"Odahviing," he greeted with a slight bow of his head. He hated doing it, but to placate this dragon he would swallow his pride.

"I am not Odahviing," the dragon answered with amusement. It pleased him greatly that the Jarl of this land bowed to him, showing his submission to him. As it had been in the olden days, he just hoped Dovahkiin didn't hear about this. Thuri would be very upset with him that he allowed a mortal to bow to him in reverence.

"Then who are you?" Balgruuf asked nervously. He knew of only one red dragon, this worried him greatly.

"I am known as Nahfahlaar," the old red dragon answered.

"Why are you here?" Balgruuf asked, watching the dragon carefully.

"For your answer of course, why else would I be here? Are you worried that I will terrorize your city, harm your people? Amusing as that would be, I have orders from my Thuri. He awaits your answer," the dragon stated.

"I have my answer written out, for his eyes only," Balgruuf stated holding out a piece of parchment. He smirked as the dragon looked at him incredulously. He didn't even know how the dragon was going to carry this letter and keep it from harm. He couldn't use his mouth and he had no pouches.

"Tell me what is in the letter and I shall tell Thuri," the red dragon hissed.

"No." Balgruuf stated. He turned to one of the guards, "Bring a pack here." When the pack was in his hand, he place the letter in it, making sure it was secure. "There now you can carry it without harming the letter."

The red dragon sighed, he wanted to challenge the man for insulting him, but he had his orders so he could do no such thing. He would have to speak with Dovahkiin and hopefully his Thuri agreed with him. With a disgusted look he picked up the puny pack and took wing. He couldn't get to Dovahkiin fast enough, this was just to humiliating.

~oooooooooooooooooooo~

Ulfric walked into the front gates of Dovahkiin's fortress. He watched as people of every race walked around without fear. A scowl slowly made it to his face as he saw more and more elves. He didn't like this, it bothered him that Dovahkiin would allow elves to live here. This was nord land, the man should have known this.

Ulfric glanced at the men he brought, his housecarl Galmar walked beside him, half a dozen soldiers followed right behind him, then there was only one general and another dozen men. He should be safe enough with this many men here.

He stopped dead when he saw five dragons perched around the courtyard and another flying overhead coming in for a landing ontop of the castle. Maybe he didn't bring enough guards, he was almost certain of it.

Ulfric watched as four guards headed their way and three of the dragons moved so that they were surrounding them from above. "Jarl Ulfric we cannot allow you to enter the castle with so many men," One of the guards stated.

"I will not leave my men out here to be food for these dragons," Ulfric bit out scowling at the man. He smirked as his men moved quickly to surround him, guarding him from Dovahkiin's guards. He noticed Galmar at the front, blocking the guards from getting to him.

The guard who had spoken didn't look nervous in the least. Ulfric watched him warily, he was now wondering if this was a trap. He noticed one guard further away rush into the castle. He took a step back from his men, giving himself room in case the need to fight came.

"Jarl Ulfric I would suggest you not use your thu'um here," another warned as he walked towards them. This man was dressed in Ebony armor with Dovahkiin's sigil on his breast plate.

"He uses his thu'um the dov will take this as a challenge," one of the dragons growled.

"Odahviing, Dovahkiin didn't send for Ulfric for his death. He was invited here to help with the war," Argis warned the older dragon. He knew this dragon well now, he enjoyed scaring humans for amusement or picking fights.

"War?" Odahviing questioned, Dovahkiin had said nothing about war.

"Yes, against those who took Silsedovah," Argis stated. "Jarl Ulfric, two guards and your housecarl can follow you inside of the castle, no other."

Ulfric thought about it for a moment, he knew this was the best he would get. Slowly he nodded his head. "My general will be coming also."

"As you wish," Argis said with a quick nod and led the group inside of the castle. He ordered the guards to show the others to the barracks where they could get food. Argis watched as some went to the inn and other's went to the barracks. He hoped those who went to the inn wouldn't cause problems later, that was the last thing they needed.