The Road to Whiterun
It took slightly more than an hour to finally get everyone ready to move. Moving children, it seemed, required more logistics than moving an army, especially since one of the children involved could not reasonably walk for much more than a mile or three without dropping, and two of them could not walk at all. Especially since one of the non-walking children complained loudly about being tied on to his mother.
A cart was found-where, no one really wanted to ask-and the three mothers loaded the back with supplies, as well as blankets, a few toys for the younger children, and arranging the crates and barrels so that there was a safe spot in the middle for the smallest ones to get down and move when they wanted.
Dreyla chose to ride, as did Blaise and Lucia. The two older children were given a pair of staffs, just in case; though a fairly heavy guard of Companions suggested it might not be needed. Drelasa was sure to grab Nevano's many-patched bag and the weapons they had stripped him of.
There were very few, if any, mounts to go around, so by and large the group was walking. The most difficult part of this quickly proved to be trying to get through the marsh, though Gen and Sine went ahead as scouts to find the firmest path for the cart, and the mages of the group helped by freezing the softest places hard until it had gone past. Still, everyone was glad when Morthal came in sight after only a few hours; the ground became firmer almost at once, and there was, finally, a maintained road.
As the road climbed up over the mountains, Nevusa and Veleth got into a brief squabble over Nevusa wanting to turn him into a horse and Veleth heartily disagreeing to being her test subject. The bickering ended when Drelasa held up a handful of lightning. Both of them glanced at the puddles all around them and shut right up.
Ravenlight glanced at them. "We'll take a decently long rest once we're over the mountains. Morthal doesn't have horses for sale or hire, but Whiterun will. Don't worry; even with a slow-moving cart, Whiterun's not all that far away across the plains, and with an escort this size, nothing will attack us."
"I just wanted to see what he would look like as a horse." Nevusa said innocently.
Veleth growled something at her that sounded quite a bit like he would kick her in the head if she tried.
"Or maybe I'll just find a way to turn him into a donkey." She smirked. "He's already halfway an ass, it'll work perfectly."
"Donkey stallions are meaner than a sore-pawed bear that just had a run-in with a nest of hornets," said Kaelen. "Just...for future reference."
"Sounds like a bull kagouti!" Nevusa nudged her peeved brother. "Which, imagine that, is what we nicknamed him after."
Veleth rolled his eyes.
"I was never stationed in Morrowind, but I somehow doubt kagouti bite." He shook his arm as if in memory.
"Oof, you got the wrong end, sounds like." Nevusa nodded. "Kagouti do bite. They are carnivores. Sharp teeth, long tusks, horns and they can headbutt someone across a field. Mean asses they are. Good mounts though...just use the cows, not the bulls."
"I got every end the damnable things had," Kaelen grumbled. "They weren't carnivores, at least; made it easier to feed them. Though seeing what one of them could do to a wolf would make you wonder."
"Kaelen was one of the packmasters," Gyrmallion said wryly. "Donkeys and mules are better across rough terrain than horses, which he prefers."
"I've only met a mule once." Nevusa said. "I couldn't tell you if it was a good pack animal or not. I can tell you the darn things are delicious."
"Not the word I would have used," all the Altmer, save Nerrion, said at the same time.
"Probably not..." Nevusa laughed.
"Tough and stringy was more like it." Tellindil said. "Though it beat goblin-not to mention starving."
"Ah, see, you didn't have kwama cuttle to put on it!" Nevusa said.
"Might have been nice," said Elealda dryly. "What happened was, about five years into the war, we were in a regiment led by an absolute idiot who seemed to believe all of Tamriel was like the nicest parts of Summerset. I can't even remember now why he decided we should go through the mountains at the start of winter, only that he did."
"Oh, no." Nevusa slapped a hand to her face.
"As it turned out," Gyrmallion continued, his eyes darkening, "the locals in that area measure snowfall in feet, not inches. It was increasingly difficult going, but it looked like we were going to make it-until something touched off an avalanche in the higher peaks near where we were traveling. Half the regiment-including the commander-was wiped out. The rest of us made it into a cave system barely in time. This was about fifty soldiers, and a number of animals. We were stuck in that damn cave all winter, and wound up having to slaughter and eat all the animals before they or we starved."
"Well, that's the best thing to do in a starvation situation. Not a good spot to be in there. Doubt that commander would know what to do once his belly started growling." Nevusa said.
"So do I." He shook his head. "Once spring finally came, the snow melted enough that we were able to dig our way out. I'll...spare you the details of what we found out there. Suffice it to say there were wolves in the area."
"I can guess easily enough." Nevusa said. "Have more than a few horror stories from the field myself. Though mine usually involve angry lizards taller than Farkas and armed with poisoned weapons."
"We...made it a point to avoid Black Marsh," Elealda said. "Not that where we did go was occasionally much better..."
"Drizzt, Serana and I were stuck for a few weeks in Blackreach," Ravenlight said. "You want horror stories...try Falmer."
"I got one that will top all of you." Veleth said. "Vvardenfell. Nevano and I faced the Thalmor there. We dropped several into a lava pool. Heart of Lorkhan was used and we turned around to watch the damned fetchers crawl back out again."
Gyrmallion shuddered. "That...I do not know what Falcve was thinking when he sent that expedition to investigate rumors that it could be...remade."
"Could? Was." Veleth said. "I'll take Argonians and reavers over that again."
"We never actually knew if it had been or not," Elealda said slowly. "And I, in particular, was listening for rumors, because I'd dug a little into the stories of the Nerevarine when I heard what was going on, and was personally of the opinion that Falcve had dropped half of his mind down the privy to think rebuilding it would be anything close to a good thing."
"It...was bad." Veleth said. "We honestly wouldn't have known until it was too late but for two things. The first I'm loath to admit but it was a stupid rumor I at first dismissed that Dreyla's annoying father said, that Thalmor were poking around Vvardenfell. The one and only time he's been useful. The second...a piece of the Heart that had gotten lodged in Nevano's chest sent a wave of magic energy through him and damn near gave him a heart attack."
"We were able to stop it, through an extreme level of difficulty." Veleth continued. "The issue...really became the fact that Dagoth Ur's soul was attached to the remnants of the Heart. Even if we hadn't been there, the Thalmor would have all died because that monster would have wiped them out. Let me tell you, none of the stories do Dagoth Ur justice. He's far, far, worse."
"They never do," Ravenlight said. "Miraak, the Volkihar, Alduin...and those are only the ones I've met. Even when there are stories of them-and there aren't always-they never manage to really convey how...terrible they are."
"With energy so bad around them it makes you vomit." Veleth agreed. "He tormented Nevano so bad with memories I thought I was going to lose him. In the end, there's no way to bring the Heart back. Same thing to destroy the Heart as before, only this time, Nevano threw Kagrenac's Tools at it and the whole thing fell into the lava pool. Whole place erupted around us. The only reason we didn't die is Uliamu's insane magic. The Ghost Fence she conjured surrounded us and kept us alive. All that's left of all that is a huge crater outside their tunnels."
"Alduin's power was...arrogance, and despair. He had a tremendous presence about him that just made you feel..." She paused, trying to find the words.
"Tiny," Drizzt said. "Insignificant, even pitiful. Like a mouse trying to take on a lion."
"Shite...all too familiar." Veleth made a face. "That was Dagoth Ur. Makes you...doubt you can even leave a mark. Paralyzing."
"I don't blame the Greybeards for disliking the Dragonrend shout," Ravenlight continued. "But it was the only thing that...leveled the field on a mental level. Joor. Saah. Frul. Mortal, finite, temporary. The only things, the only concepts that could be flung at him to...pull him down."
"It is a mental game with these beings. They fear someone dethroning them so they try to tear you apart first before physically attacking." Veleth said. "The first time Nevano faced Dagoth Ur, he had Nerevar with him. The second time, he didn't. Nerevar had been torn from him when he fought Helseth's lich. Dagoth Ur went right in on that and made him feel completely alone, beating all the feelings of abandonment and betrayal both he and Nerevar ever felt."
Ravenlight looked over at Drizzt, who had almost stopped dead in his tracks. "Gods, that sounds familiar. We faced a...a mage once, the Caller. She knew how to get into people's minds. She attacked me first, but the Dov kept her out. Drizzt, though..."
Cattie-Brie slipped up beside him, squeezing his hand tightly.
"I'd...recently lost all the friends I had from my old life," Drizzt said. "She found those memories, dragged them all up. Tried to make me believe Ravenlight...considered me a useful prop and nothing else."
Veleth rubbed at his forehead. "Very familiar. If you had said 'he' instead of 'she'..."
"The most unnerving part is, the Caller had learned her...techniques by studying vampires," Ravenlight said. "I don't know where the connection is, or if there even is one, but..."
"Dagoth Ur's followers were called Ash Vampires." Veleth said. "Not real vampires, but certainly knew how to sap every bit of warmth and good feeling out of you. The only reason we broke out of it...I remembered a snippet of a story my father had told me. Not everyone had abandoned Nerevar. There had been one left who stayed loyal until the day he died. It...helped break the hold enough for me to pull that rage up."
"Better than what finally broke her hold on Drizzt," Ravenlight said wryly.
"Didn't fully break the hold." Veleth shrugged. "It's been a year and it's still an annoying cloud sometimes. Can I ask how you did?"
"I don't remember this," Zak called from where he was walking.
"No, but it happened, same as you dragging me out of Alduin's mouth," Ravenlight replied. She glanced at Veleth. "What happened was my brother very nearly died. Took a poisoned Falmer dagger in the gut and went down, and while I got him to a safe place to heal him up, he wouldn't wake up." She blinked. "I was...crying my eyes out, because I thought I was going to lose him, and I hadn't told him yet I considered him my brother. But he finally woke up. I finally got him to tell me he'd been in Sovngarde. The bridge guard stopped him, and then Zak came up, talked to him, and convinced him to come back."
Veleth nodded. "Drastic; but it sometimes takes drastic to break free fully. Very drastic. Glad you did."
"We all are." She glanced at him with a sly grin. Then she looked around. They'd been walking all that time, and were finally out of the mountains and getting down into the hills and plains of Whiterun Hold. "Let's get a little closer to the river, and we can all finally get some rest."
Veleth's ear twitched at the slight fussing of children and readily agreed. This was quite a bit for them.
The spot they picked was pleasant, and safe-at least, safe once the warriors had gone through and run off or killed the more agressive mudcrabs. The center of the river was deep, but there were plenty of shallow pools along the edge for a small child or baby to splash in, and the higher banks were grassy, and even warm in the spring noon. A ruined fortress not quite a quarter-mile distant had once been a notorious bandit haunt, and several shallow caves had been home to wolves or saber cats; but with the increased number of Companions at Jorrvaskr, those hadn't been a problem for months.
Nevusa stole a giggling Dusty to go dabble at the water, though making sure to deftly keep whatever he managed to pick up from going to his mouth. Veleth smiled a little, watching his baby play in the water. Drelasa watched the wind ripple the grasses across the plains, running her fingers through the taller tufts.
Cattie-Brie took Alustra and Connlach down to join Nevusa and Dusty, while Blaise and Lucia went a little further downriver to splash and paddle themselves. Zak and Drizzt stayed alert, remembering what had happened with the last hybrid of Molag Bal's; the Companions were alert for those as well, but also for any more mundane threat that might decide to make an appearance. Ravenlight seated herself on a large, sun-warmed boulder and just sat, at once alert for anything, and completely relaxed.
Veleth was turned as if he were watching the kids play but his head was partially turned, but in such a way that first glance wouldn't indicate he was doing anything else. Only his ears twitching gave away he was listening to something else.
Ravenlight suddenly lifted her head and opened her eyes, then stood on the boulder, peering toward the west. "Oh..." She bit off a word that sounded as though it might have been a curse. "Of course they'd be coming now."
"And they are?" Veleth asked, his shoulders tight.
"Blades." She hopped down off the boulder. "And Forsworn, but they're not the ones I'm worried about."
The look Veleth gave her told her to expand a bit.
"Delphine knows Gyrmallion. Nevano said he had some way to hopefully distract them and keep this from blowing up...but Nevano is currently not here. So."
"I think I know what he was going to do but it's nothing I can replicate." Veleth tilted his head. "However, if things escalate, I can take a page from his book. Won't be pretty and the kids might avoid me for a while but it'll leave a lasting impression of 'don't be an ass, get along'."
"Well, if it avoids me needing to rupture every eardrum for a mile Shouting, go for it." Ravenlight looked fairly grim. "Because it's either that or hiding him the whole way, and that won't work."
"Just tell Zak to try not to kill me for it." Veleth's eyes flashed briefly. "I won't let it get out of hand, I can promise that. And only if no one wants to be reasonable."
Ravenlight was already moving to alert the Chii Chare and Drizzt. She also stopped by Zak and warned him in an undertone that Veleth might be letting the rage beast loose, and he needed to keep Ebonarm under control if it happened.
She moved swiftly enough that, by the time the small army ahead of them was close enough to see them, she was the one in front; and the Chii Chare were very close to nowhere in sight.
Drelasa quietly moved so she was between her son and the small children, tiny little bits of lightning on the very tips of her fingers.
It was hard to tell which of the two saw Ravenlight first: the woman in dark armor, or the wild-looking older man beside her. Both instantly raised their hands to hail her, a gesture she returned.
Veleth was very careful to keep his eyes from flashing as they got closer, though he could feel the beast in the pit of his belly growling. He held tight to it. It would undoubtedly get its chance.
"Delphine!" she called. "Madanach."
"Dragonborn!" The two sped up and reached her before the others. Delphine bowed slightly to Ravenlight; Madanach did not bow, but there was decided respect in his eyes as he clasped her hand. "Unusual call you sent out."
"It was. And there's a reason for it." She glanced at the crowd behind them. "Esbern with you?"
Delphine laughed and shook her head. "He wasn't up to it. Staying with a few of the younger members back at the Temple. So. What's going on, then?"
Ravenlight waited for the others to get closer before she explained the situation, both in High Rock, and possibly elsewhere. She didn't bring up the towers, or the possible collapse of the Wheel, but she did explain that Molag Bal was clearly making a bid for power.
Veleth felt his hackles rise looking at them both but he bit it back. There was a rigidity in them, one he recognized. They had learned from hard lessons but tended to not bend when the situation called for it. He could understand and appreciate stubbornness...but his own hard lessons had taught him that concessions needed to be made if he ever wanted to move forward.
"That explains a few odd reports we've had from elsewhere in Skyrim," Delphine mused. "There's still some camps of Thalmor we haven't found yet-not in the Reach, though, they've learned to stay out of that. They're actively searching for rogue conjurers. Apparently, they've contacted more than a few groups of dark mages; not all of them have answered, but some have."
"Don't seem to know what to do with them, though," Madanach said dryly. "One camp's definitely recruiting them. At least one other's been trying to kill them off."
Veleth raised an eyebrow. Killing them off?
"The Thalmor are divided," Ravenlight said. "I've found out, from an...extremely knowledgeable source that there are three heads of power currently in Summerset, each with differing goals. Could be as simple as they're taking their orders from opposing sources." She glanced back briefly to where she knew the Chii Chare were listening intently. "Where are these camps, near as you can figure?"
"Eastmarch and the Rift. More than that..." Delphine shrugged. "They're keeping on the move." She paused. "Wait-what kind of source would be able to tell you about the heads of power in Summerset?"
Veleth paid very close attention now. This was this one's chance to prove to be reasonable. Her one chance. He didn't have the time or patience to allow her more.
"One who saw the depths his own are sinking to, and took the chance offered to forge a new path," Ravenlight answered calmly. "Much like Madanach did, when we got him out of Cidhna Mine; or Paarthurnax, when he showed me how to find the Dragonrend shout."
Delphine flinched. "You are going to bring that up every chance you get, aren't you?"
"Only because in this case, it's very similar." Ravenlight held up a hand. "I'm not trying to rub that in your face. I'm asking you, right now, to remember what happened when you demanded that I kill him, and how it almost turned out."
"I remember what happened," a young woman's voice said. A girl with the features of a Forsworn, but wearing the armor of a Blade, made her way forward. "And you told me to remind you of it, if it looked like it would happen again. 'Do not make me regret I agreed to reform the Blades', remember?" She sounded as though she was quoting something.
'Smart kid.' Veleth thought.
Both women blinked. "You know, I almost never remember it going that far," Ravenlight muttered.
The girl tipped her head slightly. "Well, all of us remember. The place was echoing with that for an hour, and all the other kids were scared and hiding." She glared at Delphine. "So. Don't make it go that far again."
Delphine heaved a sigh. "All right, all right." She glanced at the girl with a fondness that was...not quite maternal, but perhaps that of an aunt. "You'd be reprimanded for insubordination if I hadn't told you to remind me of that. All right." She turned back to Ravenlight, her lips twisting to the side. "Something tells me I'm not going to be happy about this, but..."
That 'but'. Veleth resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
"I'm not asking you to be happy about it. I just want you to be reasonable." Ravenlight eyed her for a moment. "I made contact with a Thalmor in Fell's Run in High Rock, about a day's ride from the ruin where the vampires are gathering. He listened when I told him about the vampires, and offered to help protect the town from them, should the need arise. A few days later, I discovered that he and four others had been staked out for the vampires by their commander, and took Odahviing and another dragon to rescue them."
"Honestly, I'm surprised you bothered." Delphine shrugged. "One's good as another, as far as I'm concerned. But you're...nicer than I am. Can't say it won't bite you one of these days, but there you are."
"Charming as ever, I see," Ravenlight said dryly. "It hasn't bitten me yet. They've proved extremely helpful, including a few nights back, when a coven of vampires led by an Ancient attacked Windstad Manor. THey fought with us; one nearly died protecting my children."
Veleth narrowed his eyes and several shifted behind him. The rage snarled, starting to boil. 'Strike one,' He thought.
Delphine pursed her lips. "That's...better than I would have expected. I take it they're the ones who told you about this...divided power structure?"
"Yes, in some detail. It turns out the one we really need to be worried about is named Rumalashorn Taromoth. He's..." Ravenlight paused for a moment, "a truly nasty piece of work, and you may direct your rage at him if you want. He's also in league with Molag Bal to a depth that most of the Thalmor probably do not know."
The Blade hesitated, her mouth twisting, her arms still folded. She nodded slowly. "I...will agree that most of them don't follow the Daedra. Openly, anyway. And Bal is...nasty, any way you put it. So. These others?"
Veleth met her eyes without flinching. Very tough...very tough. The beast growled.
"Falcve is apparently obsessed with ancient relics to a dangerous degree; Sirinalda is only interested in local power. And...she appears to be an unofficial devotee of Sanguine, from what I've heard." Ravenlight glanced back to catch a glimpse of a rueful nod. "However, she also despises Rumalashorn. He is, almost without doubt, behind the orders to recruit conjuration mages. She might be behind the orders to kill them." Ravenlight paused. "Or, and this is a fairly small chance, but it's possible, the Thalmor killing the dark mages might be working on their own and trying to stop Rumalashorn. I know that the ones I retrieved are willing to do almost anything to that extent."
"I'm...skeptical. To say the least," Delphine said bluntly. "But at the same time, if this...Remal-whatever really is in service to Molag Bal, it's just possible that what he's doing would be enough to turn the stomach of the rank-and-file. I still wouldn't trust them. But..." She took a deep breath. "I gave way on the Dragon Queen thing. I'll...give way on this. Under protest, and standing behind you with my hand on my weapon in case it goes bad...but I will give way on it."
'Strike two.' Veleth felt his ire spark at that. He felt the familiar warm prickle as his eyes flashed.
"I'm not asking you to make friends," Ravenlight said irritably. "I just want to make sure I don't have to knock you over the head to keep from trying to kill them whenever you see them."
"I said I'd give way," Delphine said. "I won't start anything if they don't."
There was a moment of silence as the two women stared at each other. "I suppose asking more would be like asking Isran to move on the issue of vampires," Ravenlight finally said. "Be aware. If I have to break up any fights that seem to center around you, the response will be extremely swift, and more than a little painful."
Delphine bowed slightly. "Understood."
Veleth could barely control the growl. It was quiet enough to miss though. He didn't trust her. Not at all.
"They're here, aren't they?" Madanach asked. "Your...renegades, I guess. That's why you're getting on her like that." There was a hint of laughter in his voice, though no one was entirely sure what he found so funny in the situation.
"Yes," Ravenlight answered. "They're here, and they're coming with us."
Delphine's lips turned down...but she kept her hand away from her sword, and didn't move.
Veleth's eyes narrowed at that but he didn't move. If she did, he would.
The Forsworn Blade poked her. "Remember," she said in a sing-song voice.
"Yes, Hawk," she said wearily. "I remember."
Veleth glanced at Ravenlight. Get this over with here and now.
Delphine looked at Ravenlight and sighed. "You couldn't have left it at the dragons?...fine. I'll... just... Hang a sign around their necks or something so I know they're yours and I'll leave them alone." She looked over the Companions, her eyes lingering briefly on an Altmer not quite concealed among them. "Looks like you won't need an escort, so we'll head to Whiterun on our own. I'll take whatever orders you choose to give us there." She bowed, then the cavalcade moved off along the road, a number of those in Blades armor bowing or saluting as they passed her.
"I do not trust her." Veleth growled as they faded into the distance. "The others sure. Her, no."
Ravenlight relaxed with a long exhale. "She's three times as stubborn as Nevano, and probably has even more reason to hate the Thalmor...but I browbeat her and Esbern into seeing reason over Paarthurnax. I'm just not going to push it over this...and if I can keep her and Gyrmallion well apart at Whiterun, it can only help."
Drizzt came up behind her, smiling a little. "Which do you prefer," he asked softly, "a Revered dragon of uncertain allegiance, or Delphine?"
"That's why I don't trust her." Veleth snapped. "I will take a hundred stubborn men who I have to all but beat to get them to follow orders but I can fully trust to stick to their word when they give it over one who easily go with what you say but will only cleave to their word when it suits them, no matter how good their sword arm."
"You might have a point." Ravenlight sighed and shook her head. "I'll keep an eye on her, that's for sure. Though...admittedly, keeping them apart might not be an issue." She had been following the movement of the Blades, and now pointed in the direction of the town. "Look. Whiterun is in the middle of an army. Everyone's answered my call."
"As long as she doesn't go looking for answers herself..." Veleth said. "But good."
"Let's wait a little longer before we head out," Ravenlight said, "give them time to find their own place to camp before we head up there." She stood, staring at the city, her expression almost unreadable. After a moment, she exhaled and shook her head.
"Almost can't believe they all came."
"Nice when things do work out." Veleth said, his rage bleeding out now that the source was gone.
"Wait until you see who all is there." Drizzt laughed. "Mage's College, Dawnguard...didn't you say something about Thieves' Guild, too, essiel?"
"Well, I didn't call them specifically..."
"Yet word got out." Veleth said
"Dismas is a favorite of Nocturnal." Ravenlight sighed. "He also knows enough to be justly frightened of us, should need arise, so hopefully that will keep them on good behavior, if they're there. I'm actually wondering if Sorine and Gundar brought their...individual interests, as it were."
Veleth snorted. "Probably a good thing Nevano isn't here then."
"I am not looking forward to seeing if she brought that blasted Centurion, that's for sure..." Ravenlight looked to the side as Drizzt suddenly laughed.
"If the Dawnguard is here, essiel, that means Isran is here. We are going to want a good view of his face when we tell him where Serana is!"
Veleth muttered something in his own tongue that had a definite...vulgar ring to it. Or it was merely how Dunmeri sounded. it was hard to tell. Drelasa smacked her son upside the head for that one.
"I see the Blades have not changed much over the centuries...unfortunately."
"Only Dephine...and possibly Esbern. The rest of them..." Ravenlight shrugged. "Are very new to being Blades, I'll just say that." She waited a few more moments, then hopped down off the rock. "All right. Let's head out again."
"It's always the ones in charge." Drelasa said. "But yes. Let's see how this goes."
Reloading the children was easier than it had been initially; due in no small part to the fact that there was a road there, and the ground was not largely marsh. The dips and rills of the plains were an easier trek, even for sore feet, than the mountains and wetlands had been, even if it turned out to be a longer distance between them and the city than it had initially looked.
As they drew closer to the city, and the numerous camps set up around it, the Companions, almost as one, moved the Chii Chare into the middle of them, placing them fairly close to the cart, and ensuring that there was a hedge of hardened warriors around them. Delphine, they knew, was not the only one likely to react poorly to the sight of what appeared to be Thalmor, and they wanted to avoid any incidents.
Nevusa stayed close to Farkas, using his bulk as an aid in keeping in a straight line while she looked left and right. Not only were there interesting soldiers she had never seen before, but this was a new town with new and interesting sights. Yes, it was a war gathering, but she wanted to see it all.
Ravenlight's first quick stop was at a small house almost immediately past the wall, where she turned her children, and Dreyla, over to a straight-backed warrior with dark hair and a friendly smile. A hairy wolfhound greeted Lucia and Blaise with delight before sitting down and staring up at Dreyla with a hopefully wagging tail. Dusty, thrilled at seeing a dog, immediately leaned out of his mother's arms to pet the dog, babbling happily. Meeko's tail nearly swept the floor clean of any loose objects.
Veleth's shoulders finally relaxed when his small family were in the relative safety of the small house.
"Breezehome's protected," Ravenlight said. "If I wasn't sure of that, I wouldn't have left any of the children there. I had a vampire break in once before, during the incident with the Volkihar; had to get the door repaired afterward. Somehow, an amulet of Kynareth got embedded in the new doorframe. Anything nasty that tries to get in now, well...it's in for a shock."
He nodded, though his eyes were still busy and his ears twitching.
Ravenlight looked over her group. "All right...Zak, Drizzt, Gyrmallion, Drelasa, and Veleth, I want you with me up at Dragonsreach. That's where all the other leaders will be, that's where we'll be making any plans. Companions, probably best for you to head to Jorrvaskr, and please take the Chii Chare with you, because no one will try anything there."
Nevusa's eyes sparkled at that. Until Veleth caught her arm and said something in Dunmeri in her ear. She seemed a bit tempered then...if only a bit.
Ravenlight was no stranger to the inside of Dragonsreach. For one reason or another, being Thane of Whiterun often brought her to the great hall, to speak with its wizard or the Jarl. But even when they'd prepared for Ulfric's assault on the city, or to capture Odahviing there, she'd never seen it this full. Several mages mingled with members of the Dawnguard, Jarls argued with each other, Legionnaires chatted with Nordic warriors. As she pushed the doors open and entered, her group behind her, first one group, then another noticed her, and the hall, in a long ripple, fell quiet and turned to her.
Veleth fought back the uncomfortable squirming feeling in his gut at so many eyes. He had faced a crowd similar to this only once before and that had been a third of the size. At the time he had been fully in the grip of a rage so murderous even Boethiah had tried to rein him in. Now, the rage was cold. He kept his attention half on Ravenlight though. He wanted to learn from her how to handle a crowd such as this, one charged with enough nervous energy that his armor was reacting to it.
"Dragonborn," a voice said formally, and a tall man in rich clothes, a large axe strapped to his back, made his way through the crowd. Ravenlight smiled and strode forward, meeting him halfway. When they met, they clasped hands, both bowing slightly to the other in display of respect for the authority both commanded.
"Jarl Balgruuf," Ravenlight said warmly. "Sorry for choosing Whiterun as the gathering for all of them...but it's close enough to where we need to be."
"You always seem to choose my keep for this sort of thing," Balgruuf said, no heat in his voice. "Calling all the Jarls together, trapping a dragon...we're just a little too convenient, it would seem."
"Just a little." She smiled, then grew serious. "Is everyone here?"
He looked around. "Not quite yet. Tullius and Elisef haven't made it, and while I got word that your Blades and Forsworn have arrived, Madanach isn't up here. I'll let you know when they arrive; then you can tell us all at once what's going on."
Veleth heard the order to cool their heels a bit. He didn't like it. It made him jittery. He hoped Nevusa and the twins were behaving...he hoped that this would be over soon.
"Thank you." Ravenlight half-bowed, then glanced back at her group. "Uhiel, why don't you take Veleth and your father and find a quiet spot before either one does something they'll later regret? I'll fetch you once everyone else arrives. Gyrmallion, you stay with me; Drelasa, you too. I'll take you around and introduce you."
Veleth was grateful for that. He wanted away from this crowd.
"Out this way," Drizzt beckoned. "There's a porch out back: good view of the eastern Hold, and the mountains. Spacious and quiet. It's also where Ravenlight caught Odahviing for the first time; I wasn't there for it, but I've heard the story from quite a few people since. Be glad to tell it to you."
Veleth nodded. Part of him was intrigued and the rest relieved. Except for a small part. It remained twisting in agitation.
