Iona woke up in a room, stripped of her armor and bandages on half her torso. She sat in the bed, still pain in her side. After a few minutes analyzing her surrounding, she recalled how she passed out at the end of the fight. She made her best to stand up against her aching body. On a chair, she saw a red dress but not her armor. She took the dress on and got down the stairs.
Once down, she saw Arkan, Mah'ika and Juliette on a table. Arkon saw her and motioned for her to come sit with them. She sat, a hand on her wounds, as the three of them looked at her.
"I'm happy to see you are alright my friend." said Mah'ika.
"I guess High Rock is free...?" asked Iona. They all nodded to her. "Alright... where is my armor?"
"It was greatly damaged in the battle, I had it taken care of by the blacksmith." answered Arkon.
"Fine... Who got me that thing?" asked Iona, showing her dress.
The two others looked at Juliette as she smiled in defiance to Iona and looked her in the eyes. "I couldn't let this occasion pass, kid."
Iona maintained Juliette's look and answered "Actually, it's a pretty cute dress. It's just, I feel naked without my armor."
"It's from a Cyrodiil tailor, I'll get you a special one for your coronation." said Juliette.
"Whoa whoa whoa, who said I'd get a crown?"
"You want Skyrim to be free? Well, for that you'll need to be high queen."
"I remember you saying, "I'll make Skyrim a free country, even if I need to be high queen"..." added Arkan.
Iona sighed and said, "We'll see about that later. For now, I need to eat. How much time was I out?"
"About half a day." answered Mah'ika. While Arkon motioned for the innkeeper to bring food.
After a meal where they discussed about their plan to get Skyrim. Arkon took Iona to the blacksmith for her armor.
A big man, Iona remembered to be in front line, welcomed them in his forge.
As he brought the armor, he complimented Iona on how well conserved it was. As she looked at it, she touched it's leather part, feeling there was a small chainmail on the inside she looked at the blacksmith who smiled, "Just a lit'le reinforcemen' Arkan asked, it'll not slow ya down."
Iona looked at Arkon and asked why.
"You freed High Rock, it's the last I can do." he responded.
"Yes, but Skyrim will be free for that, there was no need."
"Can't I make a simple gift to a woman I see as a friend?"
"I... thank you..." said Iona, a little red from her uneasiness about a man offering her such a costing gift.
"Lit'le miss, cou'd ya put it on, I need ta adjust things." asked the blacksmith.
She did as asked while putting it on, the two men did their best not to look in her direction. The big man could now work on the last details. While he adjusted the shoulders and waist, Iona tried on the gauntlets and looked in the far deep of the shop, searching for her weapons.
Iona could now say goodbye to the dress, she folded it perfectly and took it in her arms.
The blacksmith gave her weapons back and added a little gift for Iona a dagger. Made from ebonite, like her shield and axe, it was long and slender, pointy, perfect to pierce armors if needed.

Exiting the shop, geared up, Iona said out loud, "Why to people give me gifts?"
"First, you fought by their side when you could have just looked the fight from afar. Second, it's not every day a beautiful warmaiden enter his shop."
"Am I this much of a beauty?!" asked Iona, kind of pissed off.
"I didn't mean to offend you, Iona, but you are a beautiful woman. But more than that, you're a born leader who ignore herself. A woman of charisma who always step out of the mass."
"How am I a born leader? I'm just doing my best!"
"And that's what we ask of leaders, you give strength to people. If you'd saw yourself before the fight... that speech you gave... it motivated not only footmen but us too. You gave away a courage everyone needed at the time and turned an army of whoever into those who destroyed the Talmors."
Iona didn't responded and looked at the ground while walking.

A new day came and Iona's wounds were healing pretty well, she could travel back to Skyrim with the Breton knights and Bitter Twilight's leaders. As long as she don't move too hard that is.

After few days of travel, the quartet arrived at Riften. And soon got in touch with the thief guild. In Honeyside Iona left Mah'ika explain the plan and what part they'd have to play in it. While the Kahjiit was going for the news, Iona and the three others departed for Winterhold's college.
Entering it by the secret passage, they ended up in the court. Helping her two friends up, Iona heard someone running to her. Turning over, she saw Morkan waiving.
Iona, you're here. He smiled, as he saw Arkan. "Sir." he bowed to him in respect.
"Lift your face, boy." he answered. Morkan did as asked and Arkan hugged him tenderly. "It's good to see you're well."
"How's ante Ann?" asked Morkan.
"She's... been captured by the Talmors, we got her out just a few days now. She's resting in Northpoint.
"I'm sorry."
"Not your fault Morkan. Let's get to why we're here."
"We're finally getting out of here and help take Ulfric out of his big chair."
"Don't be in such a hurry, kid." said Juliette.
"I know, but it's been weeks since we're here."
"By the way, how did you get such a big barrier to last this long?" asked Arkan.
"I used a device to canalize and project pure magic from a thing we have here."
"Are you sure it's without danger?"
"We monitor it at all time, we can shut it down whenever is needed."
"If you stop the barrier, the guards will come see what's going on... so there need to be people here, we can't risk anything going bad." stated Arkan.
"You're right, we need at last three people to do it properly."
"Alright, so, three people keep here, the rest go with us. We need to be ready to take Ulfric down. The sooner, the better." Said Juliette.
"Aren't you the one that told Morkan to be patient?" asked Arkan.
"Yes, but waiting too much is getting Cyrodiil in danger. It's forces is weakened, if the Talmor attack now with their full forces, there'll be just ashes for me when I get home."
"I'm with her, the people of Skyrim suffered enough, we need quick actions now." added Iona.
"So, what's the plan?" asked Morkan.
"Cyrodiil's army will take care of the cities while the Breton knights get Windhelm. The college, the thief guild and I will infiltrate the palace of kings and get to Ulfric."
"Seems a little bold..." commented Morkan.
"That's what we need." finished Juliette.
"Let's go to Riften, the guild must have finished their planing." said Iona.
Only few mages followed, the others had to keep an eye for Morkan's device not to get out of control.

Entering Honeyside again, the guild was readying what they needed for the breaking in.
"Everything's ready?" asked Iona to Mah'ika.
"As ready as can be my friend."
"Then let's go, you'll explain on the way." said Iona.