Athene was glad they'd slept on the way to Winterhold, because there was no way she was staying one extra moment. Agni was where she needed to be, and Athene had brought her and there was nothing else she could for the girl except write to Babette so she, too, knew things had worked out. Never mind that they hadn't exactly worked out for good–At least it was better. It was as good as it could be.
The farmers were gone and there was no carriage leaving town for days so Athene began hiking by herself, in the snow. She was wrapped up warmly and paced herself. It was a miserable route between the college and Windhelm, but when the weather cleared for a few minutes here or there the view of the sea was breathtaking. And she was sure she could make it in less than a day. If she just kept moving. If nothing stopped her.
She slipped by some wolves without incident, but it was the snowy sabre cat that made her heart race. Still, after hiking for an hour she was as white as he was, her armor entirely caked with snow. As long as it didn't melt it was good insulation, too. She kept her dagger in hand and whispered a drinking song she'd heard in Whiterun, saying it too slowly so it sounded like a dirge. But it kept her from thinking too much about how stupid she'd been to storm out of Winterhold into a blizzard.
When she saw a group of Nords she paused long enough to recognize them as guards. She went to pass them on the road, but the one in front stopped her with a hand.
"In the name of Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak, I command you to stop."
"Only if you have some mead to warm my belly," Athene said.
He snorted, but gave her a bottle. After a great show made of drinking half down, Athene had evaluated the men. She believed they were Stormcloaks dressed as city guards, and she believed they meant business. She waited to hear what it was.
"Done?" The leader took his bottle. "Then come with us."
"An escort back to Windhelm? Seems excessive."
"You can make this difficult if you like. Your choice."
"What am I…" Athene stilled as the guards drew their weapons. She nearly laughed in their faces. If she wanted to run, she'd tip backwards and roll. She'd be halfway down the slope before they could lug themselves after her. They were big men in little armor, and she'd be gone before they'd dug the snow from their boots. But why would all that be necessary? She was a Stormcloak, for the love of Talos. So to speak.
The leader held a hand out as if to calm her, an ineffectual gesture considering the warmhammers that were ready.
"You're under arrest, by right of Jarl Ulfric. Come peacefully and there'll be no trouble."
"Why?" Athene blurted. Had he found out… Well, anything? Everything? She could ask what she'd done, but really, what hadn't she done?
"Treason," the man said.
Athene peered at him through the blinding snow.
"Could you be more specific?" she said.