Chapter 25: Taking care of business

Meanwhile with Talia at the Thalmor Embassy.

It's a cold evening at the Embassy. Talia gets off of the carriage that brought her over. Shivering she pulls out the invitation that Delphine gave her and walks over to the steps. "Welcome to the Thalmor Embassy. May I see your invitation please?" Says a female Thalmor.

Talia hands it to her and walks up the stairs once it's returned. Opening the door she is greeted by Elenwen. "Hello there. Welcome to the Embassy."

"Hello my name is Talia. Very nice to be here." Talia says with a fake smile.

"Talia what brings you to Skyrim?"

" I was born in Winterhold. Studied at the collage even."

Before Elenwen could reply someone in the back interrupted her. Talia used that time to look around at the other guests. Some people were chatting with each other while others sat around looking bored. She recognized one of them from outside. "What does a guy have to do to get a drink around here?" He complained.

Talia smiled when she also recognized the Wood elf standing behind the counter. "Hi, got anything good to drink?" She asks him.

"Here you go. They finest Colombian brandy."

" Thank you. "

Walking oven to the bench she sits downs. "He have a drink."

" Why thank you. If you need anything from me just let me know. "

"Actually there is something you do for me. I need someone to keep everyone busy so I can take care of something."

" Is that all? Consider it done. " he stands up and walks over to Elenwen and starts talking loudly to her. Talia then used that time when everyone was looking at them to sneak behind the counter.

"Quickly before we are discovered."

She grabs her things and ignoring the khajiit woman that was yelling at her closes the door into the other room. Once she hears it lock she sneaks quietly around.

Before long she is outside running outside after killing a few Thalmor. Opening a door to another building she quickly kills more of the elfs and is soon in a room with a men tied up to the wall. Frowning she opens the locked door and let's him out. Telling him that she would meet him after she looks around until she finds a chest. "Yes finally!" She says to herself once she finds what she was looking for.

She turns to go back to the man she saved when a voice says, "Stop where you are. We have your accomplice. If..."

He never got to finish. Talia found them and soon the three of them were under the Embassy fighting a troll. Once dead they walked outside and sighed in relief.

"I hope this was worth it."

" See you in Riften if you are ever there. "

"I'm okay bye." Talia says as both man and mer run off. "Now to go back to Riverwood."

At Mount Kilkreath Ivan's POV

The four of us raced here in just a few days while still in wolf form. When we got here Tori found a ancient Nordic Stone that gave her a new shout. After we set up camp and camped out the rest of the night. In the morning after eating some bread, we climbed the steps and once again hear the loud voice,"Look at my temple, lying in ruins. So much for the constancy of mortals, their crafts and their hearts. If they love me not, how can my love reach them?"

After a long trip inside the temple we got to the end where we killed the ice mage and Tori took the sword that was offended to her. Suddenly we are back outside right by the shrine. Tori was in the air with a bright light around her. After a minute she is let down. "Ugh glad that's over with." She signed as we started walking back down the steps.

"Yeah." Vicky said in agreement, "I've had of enough of shades and drauger for awhile."

"As have I." I say. "Let's say we make a stop for the night in Dragon Bridge. We only got a couple of hours asleep last night. Not sure I could make it back another two days."

"Agreed." Huey says followed by a big yawn that makes us all laugh.

"Where is Dragon Bridge?" Vicky asks.

"It's this way let's go."

With tired eyes and big yawns the four of us start walking.

"At least it's a nice day out." Tori says.

"Don't jinx us girl." Vicky says.

"Hehe. Why does it matter to us? We are werewolfs now so we don't get cold that easily."

"That doesn't mean we like getting wet when it rains." Huey says.

"Yeah that;s not very fun." I say.

"Look a cave bear."

"Ignore it. It won't bother us. You should know that by now."

"Wait why won't it?" Tori asks confused.

"I have a way with animals."

"That he does." Vicky says. "I've seen it."

"Look we're almost there." Huey says pointing ahead.

"Oh good. My paws are about to fall off."

We run the rest of the way and we soon reach the bridge of Dragon Bridge.

"Wow So that's why It's call Dragon Bridge." Tori says pointing to the dragon head."

"Yep you know it" Huey says while walking across.

"Um alright then."

"This over here is The Four Shields Tavern. We can stay here until tomorrow."

We go inside and pay for our rooms and for something to eat. Sitting down at a table while we are eating I can't help by say"Wow this is way better then that horrible food at The Sleeping Giant Inn."

"Ha no kidding. That was the most disgusting food I've ever eaten." Vicky says.

"It was that bad?" Tori asks.

"It was so bad I almost thew up."

"Well that's good to know. Won't be eating there unless we make it ourselfs."

"Ha I could of told you not to eat there." Huey says while laughing.

Vicky glares at him."So why didn't you?"

"I second that. If you knew you should of told us." I saw in annoyance.

"Sorry it slipped my mind." Huey says while shrugging hims shoulder.

"Yeah sure. Whatever you say."

"Well I'm done eating. See you tomorrow Vicky and Ivan. Tori I'll see you when you come on back into the room."

"Maybe. What if I say I don't want to share a room with you know?" Tori asks.

"Why would you do a thing like that?' Huey frowns.

"Well because you just let slip that we are together without saying it. "

"Really Tori?' I'm pretty sure that they noticed without having to be told."

"He's right Tori. It's been pretty obvious to us the last two days." I say.

"Yep it sure has." Vicky says while taking a sip of her drink. "You can't hide that from me. I know you too well."

Tori's face then gets bright red. "Oh I uh...Goodnight!" She says and then run off to her and Huey's room.

Vicky looks at me and the two burst out laughing. "Oh that was great. The look on her face."

"It sure was. Anyway we should go to our room now as well."

"Yawns. Yeah."

3 days later in Riverwood. Vicky's POV

I don't know who's more annoyed. Me, Ivan, Tori, or Huey. We spend two days traveling then hours inside a old temple. After that more traveling only to be greeted by two annoyed elfs and a even more annoyed Breton once we reached Riverwood. After a very long and boring explanation of what happened at the Thalmor Embassy, Delphine precedes to tell us that we now needed to go to Riften to find some guy named Esbern before the Thalmor. That was last night. Tori insists that her and Talia and can go by themselves but me and Ivan refused. The Thalmor have caused both of us trouble. No way in oblivion we were about to let them both go alone. And of course Huey wasn't about to let us go without with. And then there's Dagur. He's coming with us as well. So that makes six of us. Should be interesting.

'Well who's ready to do someone traveling?" Huey says with a laugh.

"No one." Tori says annoyed and walks outside.

Following her the rest of us stretch and starting walking to Whiterun. Once there we are going to take a carriage to Riverwood. Then once we find this Esbern we are going to have to travel all the way back. Lucky us.

Sometime later in Whiterun.

Dagur runs up to us after and says ,"Good news everyone! We don't have to take a carriage after all. My ancestor is going to open a portal for us right in Riften!"

"Ulrick is going to open a portal. In the middle of Whiterun. Which is full of nords. Sounds like a bad idea." Tori says.

"Um yeah most nords flip out at the word magic. How do..." Dagur interrupts before I can finish,"We know that. He said he will open the portal in one of the houses."

"Oh. I guess that makes more sense."

Suddenly Simba and Gretchen are walking toward us and they don't look happy. "What's this I hear about you might be fighting the Thalmor?" Simba asks.

"Who told you?" Tori asks annoyed.

Gretchen rolls her eyes,"Yeah my brother did. You do realize that the Thalmor have a bounty on mine and my brother's heads right?"

"Yep and they have bounties on mine and Tori's heads as well." I remind her.

"And you think this is a good idea why?"

"Because I'm not scared of them and neither is Ivan."

"Well you should be."

Before I could say anything else Ivan walks over looking irritated. "Seriously Gretchen. Don't go there. " Seeing she was about to argue he held his paw out ,"All of us know what the Thalmor are capable of. Dagur lost most of his family to them. Six of us together will be fine."

"I don't like this." Simba says.

Getting annoyed I snap,"You don't have to like it. We are going." Before either of them could say anything else we walk to Breezehome and go inside. A few minutes later Ulrick knocks on the door. Letting him inside we stand back and watch as he opens up a portal. "There we are." he says. "I'll go with you so that when you are done you can make it back."

"Thank you so much!" Tori says.

"You are very welcome."

One after the other the seven of us climb into the portal. I look around once and see we are inside Honeyside, Ivan's house in Riften. Since both housecarls are still in Whiterun the house is empty.

Splitting up into groups so as to not draw too much attention, me, Ivan, Tori, and Huey walk down to the rat way. Ivan leads the way for us. As we are walking we hear talking and looking ahead we see three Thalmor elfs with weapons in their hands.

While Huey pulls out a bow, both me, Ivan, and Tori ready ourselves. Huey shoots and arrow at one of the Thalmor and suddenly we are surrounded by more of them. Next thing we know, complete chaos as the second group with Ulrick, Dagur, and Talia reach us. With spells and weapons flying all over the place, we take out the Thalmor and continue walking.

"This place is interesting." I say once we enter the rat way. "It sure is. "Tori says in agreement.. Talia who is the new leader of the Thieves guild starts asking anyone if they have seen Esbern while the rest of look around. As we are looking around a Dark elf walks up to us with a big scowl on her face. "Stay away from the face sculptor. She completely fucked up my sister's face." she said.

"Face sculptor?"

"That's right. She claims to be great at changing the way you look but look at my sister over there!" she says and points to another elf standing close by. "Yikes!" Ivan exclaims.

Both me and Tori exchange looks in shock. The elf looks as if someone stabbed. Her and her mouth and nose are both too small for her face. The first elf starts speaking again,"Isn't it dreadful? The two of us looked almost the same. Not anymore. And the worst part is, the face sculptor charged her a thousand gold for this mess."

"Oh hell no!"

"Yep."

Before we could say anything else Talia walks back over and the two sisters walk away. "I know where he is."