This is the last of the plotting and planning, next chapter will be the meeting and the start of the war. Also we will find out what's Miraak's problem. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, let me know what you think.
Dovahkiin stared at the man before him. When he first met this man in the back of a cart he hadn't thought much of him except inferor. Now, now that he actually looked at this man, there was a presences to him. Ulfric could be a good leader, but there had to be a lot of changes. Not just for the men and women of Skyrim but for the dragons as well.
"Good you finally made it," Dovahkiin stated. "Follow me."
He led them through rooms until they were in alone in his office. He nodded to Argis who walked into the office as well. "Have Miraak brought here also," he ordered.
"So what's this about? You had us travel through Imperial lands, I hope its important," Ulfric stated.
"You wanting my support had you travelling through Imperial lands, not my request," Dovahkiin said with a sly grin. "
"True, with you comes the dragons," Ulfric said with a shrug.
"Not true. You want the dragons you have to give them something in return that they will want," Dovahkiin warned.
"I will not allow the dragons to rule once more. The war happened for a reason," Ulfric warned.
"True, and that was not what I was suggesting. I rule the dragons, they do not rule," Dovahkiin growled low, it was too close to an insult that Ulfric had given.
"That is what the rumors say, but is it actually true?" Ulfric asked with a smirk.
"I see you wish me to prove it. So be it," Dovahkiin stated and headed to the door once more.
"Dovahkiin we don't have any rogue dragons here," Argis said worriedly.
"It doesn't matter," Dovahkiin said and an evil grin.
"I really don't like that smile," Argis muttered with a shudder.
"It matters not, they want proof I will give it to them," Dovahkiin stated, ignoring the questions from their guests.
"You summoned me?" Miraak said as he caught up with the group.
"Shortly we will be discussing the terms of the agreement between Ulfric and I. I want you there when that happes," Dovahkiin stated.
"Ok, then what are we doing now?" Miraak asked.
"Ulfric wants proof that I lead the dragons, and I am going to give it to him," Dovahkiin stated.
"You're not going to take the life of one of the dragons are you? Right now you need them all," MIraak warned.
"No, the dragons themselves will prove that I am Thuri," Dovahkiin stated.
"That could be taken as an…" he stopped talking as soon as he seen the warning in Dovahkiin's eyes. "Uh, once we are finished with this meeting is there time for us to speak?"
"Why?" Dovahkiin asked.
"Nothing, nevermind," MIraak muttered and walked ahead of the others. Dovahkiin watched him quizzically. He felt his emotions but didn't understand it. It was an emotion he never felt before.
Dovahkiin led them to the roof top where quite a few dragons were laying about or perched. He glanced back at Ulfric to see him hesitate. Dovahkiin smirked as the dragons bowed to him. The ones perched here were his most trusted. He was even surprised to see Paarthurnax here too. Though that created a problem since he wasn't Paarthurnax's thur. He wondered how this would play out.
"Paarthurnax, its good to see you again," Dovahkiin murmured, going over to pet the dragons snout.
"Thuri, it is good to see you are well," the old dragon said. Dovahkiin's eyes widen and he grinned. Later he would talk to Paarthurnax and find out why he is being called thur.
Dovahkiin was going to make his announcement but stopped when one of his dragons came flying towards him in urgency. It looked to be carrying something in his mouth. He wondered if this was Balgruuf's answer, if it was then it couldn't have come at a better time. It would make this meeting a lot more easier.
Nahfahlaar landed, the roof trembling beneath their feet. After so many dragons landing here it shocked him that the roof hadn't caved in. The builders had done an amazing job to build such a sturdy castle for him. "The Jarl has a letter for you to read," the elder red dragon answered after he dropped the bag onto the ground. "Is there anything else you require thuri?"
"No, not at this time," Dovahkiin answered absently as he read the letter. His mouth curled into a grin, turning into an outright smile when he finished the letter.
"Jarl Ulfric, why don't we go to my office and continue with negotiations?" Dovahkiin asked civilly, leaving a foul taste in his mouth.
"No, not until I know you are not a puppet for these dragons," Ulfric growled.
Dovahkiin stopped, his eyes narrowing in warning. "Be careful joor, no one rules me."
"Just because they bow to you doesn't mean you rule. For all I know this could be a show to get the dragons ruling Skyrim once more," Ulfric stated not backing down from the glare.
"FUS RO DAH!" Dovahkiin shouted and watched the men before fly back. "Zu'u los dovahkiin. Mu'uliik do dovah. Neh jur zey joor!" { I am dragonborn. Ruler of the dragons. Never challenge me mortals!}
"Thuri, it would be wise not to kill these mortals," Odahviing said quietly, not wanting that wrath turned his way. He knew Dovahkiin was as strong as Ulduin, all dovah knew even Paarthurnax.
Dovahkiin turned his attention to his second father. "I will not kill them, but they do not believe I am thur, so I shall prove it to them," Dovahkiin answered with a shrug.
"And how will you do that?" Volthuryol asked, curious as to what Dovahkiin had planned.
Dovahkiin stopped, he wasn't sure how without commanding one of his dragons to give their life for him as proof and he didn't want to go that far. He could do a shout that take their freewill away, but that was as a last resort, since it didn't last very long.
"Thuri, if I may?" Volthuryol ventured, moving up beside his thuri.
"Go ahead, but don't kill them," Dovahkiin warned.
"Ulfric, Paarthurnax has told us much of the younger you. I will educate your farther, the dragons that rule has to prove themselves. We don't follow willingly, we only follow those powerful enough. Dovahkiin has defeated every dragons you see before you. Even ones that are not here at this moment. He has fought for the title thur, each dragon here has almost lost their lives to them. The only reason a few of us hasn't is because of Silsedovahkiin." Volthuryol explained, hoping this would be enough.
Ulfric was stunned for the first in his life he saw fear in the dragons eye. Not only this dragon but all the other dragons. He watched, his eyes widening as the dragons bowed lower than before to Dovahkiin. He knew now, that there was no way this man was their puppet.
~ooooooooooooooo~
Jarl Ufric stayed in his room with his housecarl. They were waiting for Jarl Balgruuf, and a few other Jarl's to show up. He didn't know what was going on, but at the moment wasn't in a position of arguing.
Now he had to plan carefully, he knew working with Dovahkiin wouldn't be easy. But he needed these dragons and the dragonborn for his army. Then he could run the Thalmor out of Skyrim. That was his main goal, to have Skyrim a free. Then Skyrim would be only a nord place where no other races could interfere. But as he looked around this place he saw more races than Nord.
With everything he had seen and heard of here, he knew he would have to be very careful. With the Jarl's coming, that worried him. He didn't know why they needed to be here, but Dovahkiin insisted. And he learnt that what Dovahkiin wants he gets.
~oooooooooooooooo~
Vorstag sat on his chair, he stared at his master awaiting his command. His smiled, he was always smiling now, he was happy with his new master. Once in a while his head would hurt and another image of a person would come to him, but it meant nothing. It was nothing. He master told him so.
"Vorstag, who is the dragonborn?" His master asked him. Vorstag smiled, he enjoyed these conversations, they meant he was important to his master.
He thought about dragonborn, but only a vague image came to him. "I do not remember master," Vorstag whispered, his head bowed. He had just let his master down, he could feel it.
"What do you remember?" His master asked, anger coating his words.
"A man sitting on a winged beast. A castle, with vast lands, that is all I remember." Vorstag answered.
Harkon paced his study, worry eating. Vorstag was losing more and more of his mind. He was becoming a true thrall. He silently berated himself for his stupidity. He should have let another of his clan take this man's mind instead of himself. His powers was too much for a mere mortal, and it was just proven by this man.
His informants had told him that Dovahkiin was closing in on this place. They told him he was making contracts with all the Jarl's of this place. Soon there would be war on his doorsteps. He knew this and prepared as well as he could, but he remembered the dragon wars and you can't prepare for dragons.
All his plans were falling apart because of this one mistake. He even thought about sending this human back to Dovahkiin, but with the way his mind was now, he wouldn't be forgiven. It didn't matter, he had to try. Tomorrow he would send Vorstag back to Dovahkiin and hope that would be the end of the war.
"Vorstag, tomorrow you will be going for a ride, you will have a new master," Harkon stated with pity as he watched the man's face crumble. This wasn't the warrior that he had captured. This was a useless being now. The warrior in this man was dead, it was plain to see. The best thing you could do is end this man's life if you were not going to use him for food.
"No master, I don't want to leave you. Please master don't send me away. I will do better to please you," The pitiful human begged. Harkon knew the human would find his way back here to him.
Harkon's shoulders slumped, years of planning, plotting were falling apart by this one mistake. What had he done?
~oooooooooooooooo~
Balgruuf sat in his saddle watching as Dovahkiin castle came into view. He hoped this plan worked. He wasn't sure if Dovahkiin had actually thought everything through. He was placing his trust in this man, one he called friend. Very few had that title, even fewer had his trust as Dovahkiin had.
Irileth rode beside him, with a retinue of soldiers behind him. Soon he would be handing more people to Dovahkiin if this plan didn't work. He grinned, it seemed as if the Greymanes were backing Dovahkiin after he talked with Vignar. They were loyal to Ulfric, but that didn't matter, not with Dovahkiin's plan. He wanted to get rid of the Vampires and the THalmor. That was the deciding factor.
"Irileth ride ahead and let Dovahkiin's men know that we have arrived," Balgruuf ordered.
"I hope you have been brushing up on your dragon," Irileth joked. It was a standing debate ever since she found him reading a book with the dragon language in it. Then there was the note DOvahkiin had sent him upon request.
"Irileth…" he warned. He shook his head in annoyance when she rode off.
~oooooooooooooooooo~
Jarl Igmund glanced at the men he had gathered with him. They were heading to Dovahkiin's fortress for the talks. An invitation that had surprised him, one delivered by a man on the back of a dragon. That had been a first for him.
It seemed as if quite a few people were attending. He could see Jarl Balgruuf in the distance, Jarl Ulfric's men were already there under watch. Jarl Idgrod was in the distance with very few men. Then there was Jarl Lailia of the Rift, and finally Jarl Skald. He had never seen this many Jarl being called for a meeting unless it was for the king himself. Dovahkiin may not be the king, but it seemed he had the respect of many.
His eyes narrowed as he saw more people in the distance. These people were wearing robes. There was only one type of a person that wore robes and that was the mages. He wondered what they were doing here.
From all the people he knew this was going to be a very interesting meeting and Dovahkiin finally had a plan.