The snow had melted away, leaving muddy roads and soaking wet tapestries. Jasper himself was glad the snow had gone, it meant that his job was easier when he wasn't watching the local children toss balls of compacted snow at each other. He hadn't had time to check on either the Thane or Imarrine in the past few days, it was slightly nerve wracking to Jasper as he had no idea on Imarrine's health and Cymbeline's plans.
There was the smack of leather soles on the cobblestones growing louder as they neared Jasper's post in the Wind District, a strong hand grabbed his arm and dragged him behind a house in one swift movement.
"What is the meaning of this?" Imarrine snapped, holding the yellow flower between her thumb and forefinger.
"I thought you could use a little help?" Jasper tried, feeling the grip on his arm loosen and watching the flower fall away into Imarrine's pocket, her hand drawing back shakily.
"Why?" She inquired, folding her arms with her lips drawn in a scowl.
"Well you were injured..." Jasper replied, hearing a sigh from the Thalmor.
"Is that it?" She huffed, shifting her weight to the right.
"What do you mean?"
"Are you sure it wasn't to get me on your side? Or to further yourself?" Imarrine replied with more questions, her voice becoming sharper than the icy air, to which Jasper frowned, he wasn't one for a game of ask and answer.
"No." He simply replied, "Why would you think that?"
"Your kind has been doing that a lot recently." Imarrine sneered, leaning forwards.
"Who?" Jasper inquired.
"Does it matter? And since when have you been so interested in the Thalmor's business?" She snapped, glaring holes into Jasper.
"Since when did you stop caring about something as mundane as help?" Jasper almost shouted, instantly regretting the decision.
"We are done here." Imarrine hissed, whipping around on her heel and storming back towards Dragonsreach, leaving Jasper dejected and with feelings of regret.
"You said what?" Cymbeline shrieked, almost dropping the potions in her arms, instead depositing them into the table top where they rolled slightly before coming to a rest.
"Do I have to repeat it again?" Jasper sighed, gazing into the fire that almost seemed to burn continuously in Cymbeline's home, his shoulders slumped.
"So let me get this straight? You asked her why she didn't care for your help? "
"Well, not really asked... More like I almost shouted it at her." Jasper muttered as Cymbeline sat across from him.
"Then what happened?"
"She stormed off.", Cymbeline grimaced at his answer.
"You have to apologize to her." Cymbeline proposed, standing up to dig through a cupboard nearby, her eyes burning.
"And how would you say I do that?" Jasper began as several pieces of paper where dropped in his lap with a corked bottle of ink and a quill.
"Write a letter to her, Onmund and I do it all the time." Cymbeline suggested, falling back into the chair behind her and bouncing slightly as the wood creaked. A smile plastered itself on her face as she watched Jasper put the quill to the paper and scrawl out a few words before pausing.
"What do I say?" Jasper asked, looking up at the Thane with his fingers curling around the quill.
"You could say that you apologize for your actions and that you didn't mean to go that far, maybe even throw in a little hint at your feelings for her?" Cymbeline mused, toying with the frayed hem of her robes and waiting for Jasper to start writing again.
All Whiterun Guards were required to be able to read and write, while Jasper could do both, it was difficult for him to write this letter to Imarrine. As the watery ink was imprinted upon the paper, Jasper paused every so often, waiting for the right words to be whispered to him by Cymbeline.
"Imarrine you are a woman of high stature and even higher grace." Cymbeline hummed, reorganizing her potions in the odd yet logical way that was her own, Jasper halted his scrawl and glanced up at the Thane.
"Do you say these things to Onmund?" He pondered, watching as a fit of laughter riveted through the Thane, the potions in her hands sloshing within their glass bottles.
"Divines no, we have a much more intimate way of writing." She replied, setting her potions down as Jasper frowned and returned to his writing, the quill jolting with each curve and stop of his hand.
"I wish to meet with you and formally apologize for my behavior." The thane added after a pause, taking her stance behind Jasper and glancing over his shoulder as he signed his name at the bottom.
"Now let the ink dry, I'll send it off with a courier. You just go back to the barracks." Cymbeline ordered, sauntering to the door and opening it for Jasper, closing it behind him with a thud as he left.
It was late at night when Jasper was shaken awake, two days had passed since he had written the letter. He looked at the figure that clung in the shadows hanging over his bed and recognized the face of the Thane, before he could even say anything she had her finger pressed to her lips, telling him to remain silent.
She crouched down near Jasper's face and opened her mouth to speak.
"You have five minutes until you have to meet with Imarrine, get dressed and let's go." Cymbeline whispered quickly, drawing back into the shadows and vanishing from Jasper's line of sight as he picked himself up and tugged his tunic over his head.
Eventually Jasper was dressed, albeit sloppily as getting dressed in the dark was a difficult task, even with the torches' lights dimly guiding him. He found himself outside with Cymbeline sticking to the shadows and guiding him with the ever so often slip of her foot.
Whiterun looked immensely different at night, with the stars hung in the veil of the sky, framing the twin moons that hid behind thin gray clouds, the streets took on an eerie silence. The only noise being that of the crackle of torches and the shift of leather on cobblestone, accompanied by Jasper's breathing.
As he neared the Wind District, he could hear Jorrvaskr a buzz with mirth from returned warriors. Cymbeline was unseen as Jasper stood before the Gildergreen, it's petals having gone for the winter, he could hear someone approaching and standing next to him.
"I've read your letter." Imarrine started a noticeable sound of boredom on her voice, "nords certainly have a way with words, but your writing is a little more imperial than I initially would have thought." She continued, folding her hands behind her back.
"You can thank the thane for that, she keeps everyone in line here." Jasper added with a slight smile, shrugging his shoulders.
"It seems so, her methods are interesting to say the least." Imarrine nodded, staring up at the Gildergreen, "I've heard stories of this tree, it's magnificent."
"You should see it in full bloom, it's leaves are seen from miles away." Jasper agreed, his smile growing wider as Imarrine shifted closer to him.
"I take this night counts as an apology?" She inquired, looking over at the nord as he looked back at her, his hands toying with the hem of his tunic.
"If you think it does." He shrugged, hand dropping to his side and shifting his weight to and from each foot.
"I see..." She trailed off her hand falling inches from his own. There was a moment when Imarrine felt close to the nord at her side, she composed herself quickly and drew in a sharp intake of breath.
"I'd best be heading back now. I will find you in the morning." She breathed, a part of herself cursing at her cowardliness.
"Stay safe." Jasper returned, watching as the High Elf ascend the stairs to Dragonsreach before he too, turned and walked back towards the barracks.
It was a start.
Hello readers! Chapter seven has officially been posted and I would like to thank those who have reviewed and followed this story so far, it's really kept me on track and has helped be improve even if it's by a little bit. Constructive criticism is gladly appreciated and I will see you next time.