Chapter 83: Talking to Jarl Ulfric

[13th of Morning Star 4E 202]

After my two housecarls, Jordis and Antonius, and I had arrived in Windhelm, we had been briefly received by Jarl Ulfric and had spent a day on a city tour guided by Commander Ralof. On the day before, I had gone for a walk outside and visited a few farms, and he had been invited to a banquet in the evening; the celebration had been not just for me, but to honor Brunwulf Free-Winter, a Nord who had apparently spoken for and worked for the Dunmer, their rights and their living conditions for years. For his efforts, Jarl Ulfric had declared him to be a Thane of Eastmarch yesterday. Earlier today, the Jarl had invited me to an extended conversation, and we – the Jarl, his housecarl and I – had started to discuss various political topics.

After a quick break, while Ulfric needed to read and sign a few documents and reports, I decided to change the topic for the moment:

"Now, with the Dunmer being full accepted in your city and hold, do you have similar plans for Argonians and Khajiit?"

Ulfric shook his head and responded:

"We don't see many Khajiit in this area, and I have not thought about them much. The few caravans visiting the city from time to time have their assigned area close to the stables, and Khajiit do have that dubious reputation. If I allowed them into the city in general, they might be blamed for everything. At this time at least, I believe that it is indeed wiser to keep them outside; present company excluded, of course."

He had a point, and then he moved on to the second part:

"About the Argonians, I don't know yet. What possible use would they have for me as allies anyway? We are fighting on land and not in the water."

"They do some fishing and contribute to feeding your citizens, don't they?"

"Well, yes, they do, although there are quite a few who don't like to eat fish. But yes, they have some use as dock workers and fishermen, I guess, but that's about it."

"You might be surprised. Now, take Solitude for example. You are familiar with the general city layout, aren't you?"

"Of course I am."

"So you know that there is a way into the city from an entrance next to the docks, right?"

"Sure, close to the waterline. I have thought about using that approach for some time, even as it will be quite some time until we get that far, but the water is open, and any boat around there would be seen from far away."

"Any boat, yes, but what about people diving?"

"No chance, we cannot stay underwater for so long."

"No, Nords could not, but Argonians can."

Some decent diving equipment, including a wetsuit and air bottles, would also help, but naturally that was not available here, and I doubt that we'd be very successful by improvising, like with an upturned boat and using the bubble of air caught under it. My statement got him thinking, and I continued:

"Now, if you had a dozen or more Argonians working for you, as soldiers, they might be able to approach unseen and take that gate before the guards realize what's happening. Even if they got suspicious and somehow noticed their approach, they'd probably not assume Argonians working for the Stormcloaks. With the gate under control, boats with more soldiers could get over there, and you might be able to take the city without even have to fight your way through the main gate. With proper timing and some luck, you should be able to control most of the city before anybody in Castle Dour learns about it."

"I had not thought about that, but this is a very interesting idea."

"Even more, when did you plan to attack Solitude? As last of the enemy holds, right?"

"Of course; it is the main enemy bastion."

"So, what about that? Get maybe one more hold under control first, but ignore some others and go right for Solitude. They won't expect you yet, and even if Castle Dour might be too tough to storm, you might get the city under your control if you do it the smart way, and when the others, like Dawnstar and Markarth, see the capital in your hands, they might just surrender."

"That's a lot to think about. Let me ask this: Are you going to help with all that?"

I was not so sure about it and maybe I should have been more careful with my suggestions, but I had expected a question like this and had discussed a correct and proper reply with Jarl Balgruuf before:

"Jarl Ulfric, I do have obligations by being a Thane in Whiterun and Solitude. While I believe that your rule might be the best for Skyrim as a whole, Jarl Balgruuf՚s situation and view is most important for me. Jarl Elisif is not an experienced leader, and she probably does what Tullius suggests anyway; my obligation is, as I feel, not to her as a person, but to the hold Haafingar, and I will have to talk to my housecarl about that. So, if you manage to make a deal with Jarl Balgruuf and get your two holds allied with each other, I will officially be on your side and help wherever I can, with my own Jarl՚s permission; is that good enough, Jarl Ulfric?"

"It is, my friend, it is. I'd be disappointed and would not be able to trust you anyway if you switched your loyalty that easily."

We sat together for the rest of the morning, and then we had a break for lunch. The meal was served right here in the war room just for Jar Ulfric, Galmar Stone-First and me, and we shared a few thoughts on the situation while we looked at the large map on the table while eating. Hanni and Nanni were not forgotten and got their share as well.

After lunch, my two housecarls were also included, as was Commander Ralof and a young blonde Nord lady, who was introduced to us as 'Lana Stormcloak'. Naturally that raised some curiosity, and Jarl Ulfric explained:

"About twenty years ago, when my father, the Bear of Eastmarch, was still alive, I found a young girl, not much older than a toddler, and she seemed to have lost her parents and relatives. I must have had a soft moment and adopted her, and I never came to regret it. Since at least five years ago she has given me lots of valuable advice, and besides Brunwulf she was also one of the key people influencing me and changing my attitude towards the Dunmer."

She was, as I had to admit, really something to look at. She had long silky blond hair, blue eyes, and a nice friendly looking face, and I could not help myself and felt some attraction. While we continued our talks, I probably looked at her a little more frequently than I should, and I had no doubt that she noticed that. She did not seem to mind my looks, though, and she frequently looked at me, too.

A short time after the lunch break Jordis had an interesting point to consider:

"Jarl Ulfric, if I may ask, what are your plans for the time when you actually conquered all of Skyrim? I mean, Skyrim is part of the Empire, and the Empire laws and the White Gold Concordat are still valid. Even if you managed to get yourself established as High King of Skyrim, you'd still be bound to that, right?"

The Jarl looked down and did not say anything for some time before he replied:

"This is an excellent question, fair lady, as I have to admit. You are right; I could not easily just change the laws and, for instance, officially make Talos worship legal again all over Skyrim; I have come to realize that."

"So, what are you going to do? Talos worship is one of the main goals you are fighting for, isn't it?"

"It is, indeed, and I have thought about that for a long time. We cannot stay with the Empire in Cyrodiil, because the Empire cannot afford to violate the White-Gold Concordat. I believe that it would be best to dissolve ties with the Empire officially, like Hammerfell did after rejecting the Concordat in 4E 175. They probably won't like it, but they won't have enough military forces available to send up north and invade us, and even if they tried, they'd have to fight their way in over the mountain passes, which we'd control at that time. So, officially we'd become our own Empire, but unofficially we'd readily trade with them, be on friendly terms, and wait for our chance. As soon as war breaks out again with the Aldmeri Dominion, and I am sure that this is only a question of time, we will be ready to join the fight."

I had thought about the same issue a few times, and I believed that he was right. There were not that many options available, and there was no way to get the main Stormcloak goals and the White-Gold Concordat together. If Talos worship was to be reinstalled officially, the Empire would have to intervene, so that Skyrim could not stay part of the Empire. Military intervention from the south was going to be a real danger. Also, as High Rock was still part of the Cyrodilic Empire, too, they would be cut off, and I voiced my thoughts:

"Jarl Ulfric, what about High Rock? They are part of the Empire as well, aren't they? So, if Skyrim gains independence, won't they'd be cut off from Cyrodiil entirely? Is that a problem? Or do they trade mostly via Hammerfell?"

Ulfric snorted, and he replied:

"High Rock is officially a province of the Empire, yes, but the Bretons are almost never united. Even after the so-called 'Miracle of Peace' managed to reduce the numerous small kingdoms into five larger ones, there has never been something like a province government. For some time it looked liked that might actually happen, but Orsinium still causes trouble, and Wayrest is still in chaos after the corsair invasion. The Bretons are busy enough with themselves and not likely to worry much about Cyrodiil. By the way, Galmar, is there any news from High Rock?"

"Not a peep. Those prissy Bretons can't be made to lift a finger to help their neighbors."

"I suppose we shouldn't be surprised. They've never had many problems with the Empire."

"Those milk drinkers? Might as well be elves. Think they're better than us."

Now I decided to chime in:

"Wait a moment. Did you ask for help from High Rock?"

"Yes, that we did."

"As you said that there is no united Breton government, I assume that you wrote to the most powerful of the kings there?"

"Indeed, we wrote several times actually, but so far we haven't even received a single reply."

"What reason might Bretons in High Rock have to aid your cause?"

"Not sure, but maybe more trade with Skyrim; we are their neighbors, after all. Long term, I expect that the Bretons might as well want to separate themselves from the Empire, like Hammerfell did in 4E 175 and made official with the Second Treaty of Stros M'kai in 4E 180, too."

"Yes, but that does not sound like a great motivation by itself. Also, how exactly did you ask?

"What do you mean?"

"Well, did you make some requests or did you politely ask? Have you tried to make a point and show the advantages they might have by standing at your side? Do you know of any disadvantages they currently have by being bound to the Empire and the White-Gold Concordat?"

"Galmar, what did we write?"

"Eh, the usual stuff, just telling them to better join us, I guess."

I was not sure if I was really in a position to advice on that; I was neither a diplomat nor a skilled negotiator or anything like that. However, in my old life I had been in position a few times where I had to deal with managers and employees from other regions on Earth, like some of the semiconductor foundries in the 'Republic of China', usually just called Taiwan. Asian mentality was quite different from European and American mentality, and I had attended a few workshops on intercultural training and related activities. That did not make me an expert here, but at least I had a few ideas, and I suggested:

"Galmar, Jarl Ulfric, I believe that you need a real diplomat to phrase the next letter. If you manage to convince Jarl Balgruuf, I am sure that somebody on his staff can help with that; I am no diplomat either. In addition, it might help to consult somebody who is close to the people over there."

"Such as? We don't have many Bretons here in the city, if at all."

"Maybe so. However, I met a Redguard lady who has spent quite some time in High Rock, too, and she might have a few ideas."

"Where can I find her?"

"She is traveling, but she promised to come back to Whiterun eventually."

"Did she say when?"

"No, she did not, sorry."

"Hmph."

"Jarl Ulfric, don't you have somebody around who is versed in writing polite and diplomatic letters?"

"I wish I had. My advisors are all men of war – and a few women, too, of course – and know how to fight, and none of them know how to fight with pen and paper properly."

"Maybe this is something I could help with" Antonius suddenly chimed in.

"You?"

"Yes, me. I seem to have a certain talent to sweet talk to people, and I am sure that I can apply some of that also in writing."

I recalled how he had talked to Vittoria Vici in Solitude, and I thought that me might be able to do that indeed. Although, Ulfric was not on our side just yet, and my housecarl added, apparently with the same concern in mind:

"At this time, though, I am loyal to my Thane and my Jarl, and I do not think that I am entitled to write diplomatic letters for you unless my Jarl authorizes me to do that."

Nicely phrased, I had to admit that, and even Jarl Ulfric nodded:

"One more reason to come to an agreement."

At the end of the day we agreed that my housecarls and I would stay for a few more days to get a better feeling of the situation in the city and the hold, and Jarl Ulfric encouraged us to talk to as many people as possible.

"I want them to understand that times are getting better, specifically for non Nords. They won't believe me, and I can understand them, as Windhelm has treated some of them poorly until recently. Tell them that this has changed, and I will soon issue a statement allowing all races into the city – I promise. In addition, when you get back to your Jarl, you should be able to bring back impressions from an unbiased view of hold, city and citizens."

He also wanted to start writing a long letter to Jarl Balgruuf, for me to take back with me, and he would need a few days to complete that chore, as he also had a lot of other things to do.

So, at the end of the day my housecarls and I sat together and discussed the events of the day. The discussion had sure been very interesting, and I was delighted to see that the real Ulfric was much more a man I could respect and like than the one in the game. Both Jordis and Antonius seemed to be happy about the way our trip had developed, and we decided that we'd have a closer look at some areas in the city on the next day, to find out more above and beyond what Ralof had already shown us. Antonius knew somebody who could serve as a guide for us, as he told me with a smirk.

I had not been in my bed for more than maybe ten minutes when I heard a soft knock at the door. I called out "Come in!" – the door had no lock, but the area was patrolled by city guards – and in the semi darkness I saw a female person in a robe entering my room. Thanks to my good eyes I was soon able to identify her as Lana, the Jarl՚s adopted daughter, and I was curious to hear why she came into my room. Of course, the logical and likely motivation did not even cross my mind, but I soon learned about it when she said:

"B'lushona, I wondered if such a big and tall Khajiit might like some company in his bed. I wouldn't mind to join you for some time, if you feel inclined. After all, I have seen you checking me out a few times during the day."

"What?"

That statement had caught me by surprise, and I started to stutter:

"But … we barely know each other, and …"

"What better way to learn more about each other than that? Your saber cats won't mind if I join you, I assume?"

While Hanni and Nanni looked at her curiously, Lana started to untie her robe, and I could see that she wore nothing underneath. That view was quite a temptation, and I could not avoid seeing that her body was indeed worth a look. However, as tempting as her offer might have been, I had not had a chance yet to find out how my private parts and intimate relations worked in my new body, and I was determined to find out only with a lady I could trust and talk to very openly. In my opinion that required spending significant time meeting and talking to that lady before rather than starting with sex, and despite my body sending some signals in the other direction, I stood firm on that:

"Look, Lady Lana, as tempting as your offer seems to be, I am not willing to have a female person in my bed without getting a chance to get to know each other in a normal way first, and for me this takes time. Call me conservative or old fashioned, if you want, but that's the way those things work for me."

"Really? You are one of those?"

"Yes, I really am. If you want to meet me tomorrow, like for a stroll through the city to talk and learn about me, this will be perfectly all right. But I am not going to start a relationship like that, here in a bed. I hope that you can understand this."

"Well, I am not sure if I do, but I have to respect your decision, I guess. Good night!"

Within seconds she was gone, and I hoped that I had not offended her. Wow, were many Skyrim ladies like that? I had no idea, but it might be interesting to find out. On the other hand, did I really dare to go in this direction? What if I eventually found a nice lady, joined her in bed, and learned the next morning that she was really disappointed about my lack of experience and lack of knowledge and skills to make a lady happy?

[Author's Notes: Indeed – working with Jarl Ulfric will be quite different from the events and options in the game, and this is, of course, fully intentional. I have always disliked the lack of options on how to handle the Civil War, specifically the missing chance to achieve a peaceful solution, at least partially. This story will not be fully peaceful, but I will attempt to find a way where not everything needs to be done by brute force either. Let's see how that works out.

By the way, there is a mod called 'Lana Stormcloak the Nord Follower', and I imagine that she looks like in that mod. My backstory for her is my own idea though, and I do not even know if the Lana in the mod has a story.]