[M] Skyrim: Rise of the Stormcloaks

[StormWolf]

Soldiers as drunk on victory as they were on ale were an insufferable lot. Thankfully, the situation had been diffused before things got ugly, before steel was made naked and bathed the vitae of foolish men. Growling into his mug, Starkad emptied it in a quaff, froth dribbling down his beard. Slamming the iron-banded tankard on the counter with a tinning clatter of septims to follow, the Ice Wolf bellowed for another drink. Snatching up his brimming drink, Starkad turned and tossed a terribly rude gesture to the Stormcloaks as he passed,

"Well, should you boys have the balls to test your mettle against a washed up, old legend, seek me at your peril," Sm with a low, sardonic laugh, the one-eyed warrior stalked with a pantherish gait to the table his companions inhabited. Dragging a chair from another, half-populated table. Wilting beneath the one-eyed leer of Starkad, they made little in the way of protest. Setting himself into the roughly carved seat, situated betwixt his daughter and Aura, Starkad tousled Mara's silken mane.

"So, are we getting on with it, then? To the palace? T'would be preferable to sticking around until this mess gets messier."

[Daniel_Darkholm]

The Bastard of Daggerfall

Liam was sat at the bar when Bolgeir had walked in a tired look on his face - it looked like he'd only just woken up, something the knight had learnt annoyed the Nordic huscarl incredibly. With a stern look, he wearily walked over to the Breton and patted him on the shoulder with a yawn. "Lady Elisif requires your presence... Dunno why but it seemed like you should head there when you can. So, now would be best I think". With a nod, Liam stood up and walked towards the door nodding his head to Lisette and her friends. "I'll be back in a bit Corpulus. If you can keep my old room free, I'd appreciate it friend". The Imperial nodded his head and waved him off as Bolgeir and Liam walked the streets back to the Blue Palace just as Bolgeir gave Liam some news he probably didn't want to know.

""Look, Liam... You should know that people are talkin' about you around the Blue Palace, sayin' you have some sort of infatuation with Her Ladyship. Normally, I wouldn't particularly care about it, ya know, seein' as it's your business and all but I think you should heed my advice. Whilst you may care for Jarl Elisif in that way, think about your position - you're a knight and advisor to her. Your feelin's might cloud ya judgement when it's a do or die situation and that can lead to problems." Liam just stayed quiet, his eyes downcast towards the ground where he was walking and Bolgeir could see how hard the young knight was clenching his fists. Stopping near Castle Dour, Bolgeir grabbed Liam by the shoulder gently and looked him dead in the eye before continuing. "I'm not sayin' it's a massive issue lad. But you know as well as any what Her Ladyship has gone through in the past year or so - losing the war against Ulfric, having her husband murdered before her eyes and then having to serve under the man who did the deed. She's in no position to love or be loved at the moment mate... Tal- I mean Akatosh guide me I sound like an old maiden. Look, just think about it slightly, alright? Give her time to heal, be kind to her, respect her wishes and most of all, look out for her - that is your sworn duty as the only Breton knight in Solitude.".

Liam stopped clenching his fists when he heard Bolgeir's argument, his fave softening and forming into a blank stare of some sort. Looking at his hands, he could see the faint traces of blood from how hard he was clenching his hands and immediately used a minor healing spell to remove the grazes from his fingers and palms. "Are my feelings really such a danger to the people of Solitude?". Contemplating what he would do in times of crisis, the Breton shook his head in disgust upon realising that he would probably save Elisif upon all else if it came to it. As a sworn knight who undertook an oath to protect the weakest of people and serve them as faithfully as he would a King or Emperor, he knew what he had to do. "This has gone on long enough... I can't let my feelings supress my real duty - as of today I shall make all attempts to remove my romantic feelings towards Her Ladyship and instead serve her people as best as I can, regardless of my intent."

Resuming his walk, he into the Palace and inclined his head to Falk Firebeard who extended his arm towards Elisif's quarters. "Sir Liam - Her Ladyship will see you now."

[lain]

Aura watched the Dark Elf curiously as she introduced herself. She, like everyone else, seemed to smell like blood dominantly. She was beginning to think it was normal.

Slightly uncomfortable as the Nord sat near here, she was still trying to figure out what it was about him that made her so... irritated. Focusing on the scent, she closed her eyes. It was familiar. It was almost like...

A dragon.

That was it! He was the Dragonborn! That had to be it. She recalled the scent being left in several of her people's underground hideouts. If she had figured it out before, she would have been angry with the man specifically for killing her brethren. But, her brethren weren't too fond of her at the moment, so it didn't bother her as much.

Aura stood there leaning against the wall with a sudden 'eureka' type expression as she looked at Starkad. Folding her arms now, she smirked to herself, satisfied with her deduction.

"I would like to see the palace," Aura said in response to Starkad's suggestion to head out soon. She hadn't seen a palace before. At least not a Nordic one. Though it was probably more of an Imperial architecture considering the influence the Empire had had on Solitude until recently. Of course, she had no idea about that.

---

Elisif turned slowly when she heard the door open again and the footsteps of an armored knight. She had been intently watching the window, still anxious that Wraith had not returned. She pushed that thought away for the moment, noticing the sullen demeanor of the boy before her.

"Despite what you may think," Elisif approached him with a kind smile, "You're not in trouble. Relax,
Knight of Solitude."

Though her instinct was to perhaps place a hand on his shoulder, she resisted, not wanting to lead the boy on any more than she figured she had already.

"I simply am requesting that you focus your attention on your duties. It is obvious to me that you have been... distracted." She really didn't want to call him out directly, so she appeared to have trouble finding the words.

"I do thank you for turning in Erikur. It's unfortunate. But, I can't say I am surprised." She sighed,
"That is one reason you must keep focused. I need you to keep up that kind of work. I need your protection now more than ever. For obvious reasons, and... the not so obvious." She placed a gentle hand on her stomach and then looked up at the Breton, "Do you understand? The late King has left me a son or daughter. A prospective prince or princess should Skyrim return to its senses."

"I need you to help me make that a reality. And, should you see the man in black, you must trust him. He is an ally, and the strongest one I have right now. That is privileged information. Not even Falk knows about him or anything at all about my agenda. Ulfric must be stopped. I intend to figure out how and I expect your complete and total dedication and trust." Slipping back into old habits, she took his hands firmly and then lowered her volume to a whisper, "I am not so naive as to not notice your feelings growing for me. But, for the sake of me, Solitude, and Skyrim-- please stay focused. We have to make sacrifices for the greater good. My heart is shattered, but I can't let it consume me. I'm so worried about this child, but I have to keep going." She paused and then stepped back, "For Skyrim."

[Rayne7]

Wraith eyed the woman curiously at her mention of Boethia, surprised by her openness about her Daedric Worship. Shrugging his shoulders, he drank the rest of his ale and followed her to meet with the others, at which point he noted one of their number had managed to achieve a state of inebriation not conducive to their planned activities. Shaking his head, he found a wall to lean against as he eyed the rest of the crew.

"We're going to need a plan first." he stated in response to the conversation between Starkad and Aura. "Walking in with blades singing is likely to end in her ladyship's death, and that's what we're trying to avoid. And anyone showing up unexpectedly will most likely be turned away." he nodded to Ali. "She can get in because she's got an appointment to do so. But a group like the rest of us? No way they'd let us in. They need to believe they hold the upper hand until it's too late."

Looking to the sisters, he shrugged indifferently. "You have the most resources ready to deploy. Any ideas?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"And who is this?" Talon asked, eyeing the life-energy that was in the room with Elisif. Casting a muffle spell before taking an invisibility potion, she slipped over the side and down through the open window, landing lightly on her feet before pausing to ensure nobody noticed her entry. Satisfied that neither the Jarl nor her guest had noticed, she then moved into one of the darker corners to listen in on the conversation.

I hate knights, Talon thought derisively as she eyed the man, before turning her attention to the Jarl's words. Oh you poor fools, you have no idea how dangerous Wraith really is.

[Fox Xalian]

"We have some resources. We trained people in combat, and magic in Amber's case, so they may better defend themselves" Lucine said. "We can easily call upon them to take up arms for us, although that would put actual guards and some civilians in danger" Adra said. "We do have a friend who can help though, he owns a ship down at the docks, I think we should send Raven down there to meet with him and his crew. It would also be a good place to keep Mara safe and away from the fight" Amber added. "Ultimately I think me and Starkad should approach either past Castle Dour or through the market to the noble quarter. Adra and Aura, you two should probably get onto the walls and provide support with your arrows. Amber you will take the path me and Starkad don't take, being a summoner should make it easy you" Lucine said. "Of course this is the best laid plan I can come up with taking into account our fighting styles" she added. "Raven, since you'll be at the docks you'll have to go with our captain friend's crew, his plan in the event of having to fight in Solitude is to scale the wall, which should be interesting" Adra said. "I have to be in the Blue Palace to hand in the proof I eliminated a bandit threat, so maybe I could be in there when it happens. I rely on alteration spells, mostly frenzy spells and my sword of course. I could be inside when it happens and help keep the enemies distracted with killing each other" Ali said. "I think that would be good. Anyone want to add any changes to the plan?" Lucine said.

[Daniel_Darkholm]

The Bastard of Daggerfall

Liam had stood in the center of the Lady Elisif's chamber's feeling a mixture of emotions, conflicting ones that left him with more questions than he already had pondered. "Pregnant your ladyship? Why that... That's, erm, wonderful your lady. I'm, er, happy for you.". Liam hesitated upon speaking further, his so-called bravery leaving him red-faced and embarrassed at having made himself sound insincere. Taking a deep breath, he bowed and brought his hand to his chest in an act of respect before closing his eyes. "If there's not anything else milady, I'd prefer to get back to my duties and... Serve the realm."

Walking back outside the hall, the Knight of Daggerfall couldn't keep his emotions in line, fluctuating from surprise to shock to sadness and then to fury. How could he have been so stupid! Having petty crushes on your liege lady was frowned upon back home and Liam couldn't help but curse at his predicament. "For fuck sake... I'm just a foolish child. I may be a good swordsman and a person who strives to be good but I'm still as naive as I was in High Rock.". Walking to the training yard, he picked up a training sword and challenged the guardsman one by one, furiously striking them down and injuring a number of them. He even had to be pulled off of a soldier, not stopping his assault after their duel. "Yield! I yield!"

Liam had thrown off his gauntlets and tossed them into the ground before sitting down upon a bench and putting his head in his hands. "Divines, show me the way... I don't know what to do and I need some guidance. Give me a sign!"

[Fox Xalian]

Later that evening, the group went to prepare for the coming battle, getting into position. Lucine and Starkad were going in through the market, and Amber would go past Castle Dour, with Adra and Aura already on the walls and making their way to a good vantage point. Everyone else was in their positions as well, including the guards and civilians who had been trained by the triplets.

-----
Solitude Docks
At the docks Raven and Mara met up with an Argonian ship captain. "Are you Lucine's friend?" Raven asked. "That would be me. I am Swins-through-Ice, slayer of seadogs, perforater of pirates, enemy to all smugglers and slavers of the sea, and gentleman shipmaster and professional pirate hunter, at your service" the almost pure white Argonian said. Raven raised an eyebrow is mild amusement. "Nice to meet you. Lucine said you are to look after this girl, Mara is her name, and I am to lead your crew over the walls" he said. The captain looked at Raven, and then Mara and then back to Raven. "So be it, who am I to argue with Lucine? She'd probably throw a bucket of ice water on me, and let me tell you that is torture to an Argonian, even one like me who is relatively used to it" Swims-through-Ice said, chuckling softly. "First Mate! Boatswain! Assemble the crew and bring this man my hook and rope, he'll be leading you!" he called out. A large, extremely muscled Nord man and a athletically built High Elf woman approached, looking at the two men and the girl. "So the captain is on babysitting duty, better you then me, capt'n" the High Elf said, chuckling softly as the Nord man handed Raven a rope with a grappling hook attached. "I'm not sure if you know how to use this, and we don't have time to teach you it seems so a crash course. Spin the hook on the rope, over-hand would be best considering the distance. Once the hook lands, either on a cliff of the wall, give it a couple of tugs to make sure it is anchored, and then climb. Simple, yes?" the Nord man said. Raven nodded and gave it a few test spins, watching the hook so he could judge the best time to let go. Swims-through-Ice smiled as he watched and listened and then looked at Mara. "Would you like to hear stories of my exploits and learn to tie knots?" he asked. Mara nodded and sat with the captain as the crew went to the bottom of the cliff with Raven to wait.

----
Blue Palace

Ali walked into the Blue Palace, noting the guards were all Stormcloaks. She walked up to the throne area and presented the surcoat of the bandit leader, and a journal detailing the bandit's desires to form thier own kingdom inside Skyrim under a bandit king to Elisef's bodyguard, who had taken over bounty duties since Falk's dismissal. "It seems the bandits are organizing, these ones called themselves the Marshwalker Clan, and there's mention of other bandit clans" she said. "Alright we'll get the message out to the other holds regarding this, you've done well here's your payment and a bonus for getting this information" he said, handing Ali a pouch of gold and a couple of magicka potions. Ali bowed and walked to the other side of the throne room, catching the eye of a Dark Elf woman in the shadows. She gave a small nod of recognition, this seemed like a possible new friend for her, and maybe someone to help protect Elisef in the coming minutes.

----
Archway between the markets and noble quarter

Lucine and Starkad were standing between the market and noble quarter, waiting for the right moment to give the signal. "This needs to be quick and clean, we'll only have a couple of minutes to reach the Blue Palace" Lucine said quietly, to the odd passerby her words were barely audible, but Starkad was right beside her. Starkad nodded in agreement. "They shouldn't give us much resistance, especially with how well thought out this plan is" he said, taking note of the positions of friendly guards and armed civilians. they not only stood here to easily push into the noble quarter, they were right beside a doorway that had the sally gate of the city under it, which would allow non-combatants an escape route should they need it, as well as them should the battle go downhill.

-----
Above Lucine and Starkad

Adra walked along the walls with Aura, taking note of the guards on the walls, some standing beside Stormcloaks who could be easily pushed off the wall and down the cliff to their deaths. "We've got to protect Lucine and Starkad, I hope you're up for it Aura" Adra said, smiling softly to the snow elf woman she was with. She looked off the rampart ad saw a woman, a regular citizen, standing near a Stormcloak scout and his horse, she was putting water and feed into the two troughs in front of said horse, and subtly sizing up the scout.

----
Castle Dour

Amber walked up to the firepit in the middle of the courtyard of Castle Dour. it was a memorial, built in the middle of an Oblivion Gate from the Oblivion Crisis. "And Oblivion Gate, the pinnacle of conjuration, although getting enough stable Gates the fully besiege all of Tamriel, now that is only something a Daedric Prince can achieve" she said, placing her hand on the stone. No residual power, only the warmth from the sun, this both pleased, and disappointed her. The residual power could've given her a boost to her magicka, and her conjuration spells, but without it it meant the Gate was truly dead, which meant it couldn't be reactivated. So all up, it was a good thing to her, and everyone else. As she waited for the signal, she took note of the Solitude Guards around her. Castle Dour was basically secure and in friendly hands, she smiled and looked towards the Blue Palace, which she could see straight down the road through the noble quarter. It seemed like the clearest, easiest run, almost deceptively easy to her, and then she saw a Stormcloak battlemage walking around, and a lot of other Stormcloak guards, they were starting to secure the Blue Palace. It was nearly time, she launched a single magelight spell into the air, she knew Lucine would be watching for it, as would Adra.

----
Lucine and Starkad
Lucine saw the magelight spell and gave her signal. "To the Blue Palace! FOr Elisef the Fair!" she shoouted, standing ready as the first Stormcloak realized what was happening and charged at her. She took his two-handed sword strike on her shield and responded with a stab to the armpit and, after her attacker stumbled back, a slash to the neck. As two more charged them her and Starkad began their advance into the fray.

Adra and Aura
As Lucine shouted the friendly guards and armed civilians reacted. Stormcloaks were pushed off the walls before they could react, falling to their deaths, although one grabbed a Solitude Guard and pulled him down with her, both of them tumbling down the cliff and slamming into the ground below with a sickening crack. Adra looked a the civilian beside the scout and watched as the woman slit the scouts throat from behind and grabbed her sword, moving up to support the advance to the Blue Palace, just then arrows hit ear them. Adra returned fire, taking out two in her first volley before she ducked behind the protective merlon on the rampart. "Aura, can you deal with them? I can't get a clear shot!" she called out to the other elf.

Bottom of the cliff
As the first bodies hit the ground, the crew knew what to do. "That's the signal, go!" the first mate yelled as she spun and released her hook, it reached a ledge halfway up the cliff and was secured. She started to climb, the boatswain right beside her. Stormcloak archers saw them and started firing, only to be forced to keep their heads down by fireballs, frostbolts and lightning bolts fired by the first mate. As they climbed higher some more bodies fell off the walls, nearly hitting some of them. "Stop throwing corpses at us!" the boatswain called out, just as a still alive Stormcloak fell past them screaming before she landed hard on the ground. "That one wasn't a corpse" one of the regular crewmen said. "She was, she just didn't know it at the time" the boatswain responded, chuckling heartily as they reached the ledge. So far only two crewmembers had died, one had misjudged the hooks anchor point and fell to his death, while the other was hit in the side by an arrow. "Only a few hundred meters of sheer rock face and a wall to go! Keep moving!" the boatswain yelled. Once they reached the wall, losing one more crewman during the climb, they clambered onto the wall. The boatswain grabbed his two-handed hammer and smack a charging Stormcloak with it. They had become the reinforcements on the wall, giving the Stormcloak archers something else to fight.

Castle Dour

Amber summoned up her army, a single Spriggan Matron and two regular Spriggans. She moved forward with them, they killed some charging Stormcloaks, only to be dispelled by the Stormcloak mage. "Oh fuck you!" Amber yelled, blocking a firebolt with a ward spell. She sent some firebolts right at him, which hit the icespikes he had fired at the same time. And then they closed in, both using the flames spell, the gouts of flame colliding, both mages having to concentrate on pushing more power into the spell to get the upper hand. A single arrow hit the Stormcloak mage, causing him to lose concentration, allowing Amber to get in close and stab him with her bound sword. Her magicka was running low so she resigned herself to simple, apprentice level destruction spells.

Inside the Blue Palace
The Stormcloaks barred the door, both to stop people getting in, and other from escaping. Ali watched as the Stormcloak captain approached Elisef and drew his sword, putting it to her neck. She quickly cast a couple of Frenzy spells at his soldiers, who started killing each other. "You have failed, captain!" she yelled, drawing her own sword. The captain grabbed Elisef and put the cutting edge of his blade to her neck. "Give me one good reason why, you Dark Elf harlot!" he shouted, his contempt for Ali's people showing through. "I will slit her throat right now and take the throne, and you will die shortly there after!" he yelled back.

Ali had stalled the Stormcloak captain, his soldiers on the inside had started fighting each other. But she knew it would all be for naught if the other group couldn't make it into the Blue Palace. Come on guys where are you....hurry up she thought, both her and the Stormcloak captain staring each other down, neither one making a move.

[StormWolf]

Once more into the fray charged the reviled Ice Wolf, the naked steel of his great sword bared to the cold Skyrim air, a glittering fang of silver in the light of the moons. Where Lucine danced with a lethal grace befitting the sword-cults of her homeland, Starkad charged with a bellowing cry like some scarred bear. With a thundering crash, Starkad slammed the full of his weight into a forming shield-wall. Stormcloak blades glanced off the armor of Starkad's back, but some bit at his arms like so many gnats. Pivoting on a heel, Starkad swung the blue steel of his sword in a reaping arch, cutting through the whole of three men at the middle, stopping partway through the spine of a fourth. Blood wept darkly over the watered steel, black beneath the indifferent light of the night sky. Snarling through his blood-flecked lips, Starkad kicked the body free of his weapon and rounded on the rest,

"Talos..." Swore and cursed the Stormcloaks in furtive gasps. Starkad's one baleful eye gleamed with an inhuman hatred, bloodshot and dark. His breath turned to fog against the cold air, wreathing his head in ethereal smoke like some kind of demon. Some broke rank and ran, preferring to test their mettle against someone else, or to escape the melee entirely. The brave, foolish souls who remained leveled their weapons to Starkad, who smiled the smile of the saber-cat stalking the elk. A young lad with fiery hair and a patchy beard lunged from Starkad's flank, attempting to sink his broadsword into the Wolf's ribs. Turning on his heel, Starkad swept his sword in a parry, winding and binding the broadsword with ease, pinning the lad's sword arm against his shield. With a savage snarl, Starkad swung his left fist about in an overhead arc, bringing down his hand like a hammer at the base of the boy's neck. He could feel the bones break and ligaments tear, dropping the conscript limp as a doll.

Hither came the remainder of the shattered shield-wall, encircling Starkad in an attempt to rob him of the space needed to use his great sword properly. Palming the blade at half its length, Starkad whirled and hammered and stabbed in the close quarters, the force of his blows staggering the Stormcloaks, shaking their shields and jarring their limbs. He finally found purchase with his cross-guard on the rim of a shield, throwing the Stormcloak off balance and exposing his back long enough for a goring thrust. Discarding the body into one of his former comrades, Starkad made another half-sword jab overhead, glancing off a polished helm. Riposting and assuming a traditional grip, Starkad swung low, cleaving the man at his knees. Spinning like a mad, bloodied dervish, Starkad's sword hammered into another shield, splintering it upon impact. The Stormcloak staggered back, clutching a broken arm to his chest. Grasping his sword by the blade, Starkad brought the weighted quillions of his blade down in a viscous murder-stroke, dashing brains along the paved stone.

Shaking his lion head, blinking the blood from his eye, Starkad stood like the visage of some ancient war-god. His skin was bathed in the vitae of his foes, wafting faint, dancing tendrils of mist from the surface. Scores of new wounds marked his skin. Though shallow, the pain was real, feeding his ravenous frenzy as he stalked across the courtyard. Few dared cross blades with the raging Nord, and those brave few salted the earth with their blood in short order.

Somewhere out of sight came the whistling report of an arrow volley. Starkad tucked downward, trying to make himself a smaller target, though when he rose once more, a couple shafts jutted from his back like quills. Marching onward to the Blue Palace, Starkad found himself pierced in the shoulder and thigh by crossbow bolts.

"Drop your sword, Ice Wolf. No matter how mighty you are, a dozen bolts will bury you like any other beast. Surrender!" Quoth a Stormcloak officer from atop the stairs of the palace, a score of men in two ranks – the fore rank armed with shields and swords, the second rank with loaded crossbows. "What say you?". Meeting the officer's gaze, Starkad sneered, spitting a bloody glob to the stone which had already drank its fill.

"I say..." Starkad began, taking in a breath until his lungs burned and his veins rang with an ancient power long repressed,

"FUS RO DAH!"

[lain]

Aura followed Adra along the walls quietly, under the moonlight since night had now fallen.

"Ready for it? Of course." Aura had no more than replied to that when all Oblivion broke lose. It was almost hard to tell who to shoot, but Aura kept her eyes on Lucine and Starkad, trying to weaken the slew of Stormcloaks surrounding them. She landed several in the head to weaken the forces-- though it seemed as though the Nord had gone insane and didn't require that much help from two archers on the walls.

Noticing that her and Adra had now been spotted, she cast a frost spell on an arrow, shooting it at the ground in front of the men charging her and Adra. It formed a thick and slick ice coat over the ground, causing the men to slip and fall-- some of them off the sides of the walls. Pleased with her own idea, she chuckled to herself. She would have to remember that one for another time.

Spotting an arrow flying straight towards Adra, she readied and shot an arrow of her own to intercept it with almost supernatural speed.

Smugly, she grinned at Adra, "You're welcome."

By this time, it was absolute carnage on the ground. The smell of blood-- and even organs filled Aura's sensitive nose. It was almost enough to make her gag. She hated large weapons for that very reason. Arrows were more to the point and didn't make such a disgusting mess. Starkad had gone out of sight, but it was easy to tell where he was when she heard a shout of Fus Ro Dah. She recalled being told growing up that the Nords used such a shout to push Snow Elf forces back with ease.

"That makes sense." Aura nodded, glancing at Adra and then back down at the blood and corpse covered ground, "Dragonborn. That Nord is the Dragonborn. I smelled it and he shouted it!" She exclaimed, "Let's go closer now. He might need more help." Aura stayed on the wall but headed closer to the Palace courtyard where Starkad was headed, picking off stray Stormcloaks as they appeared, apparently fleeing from Starkad since they looked rather scared.

---

Elisif had merely gone about her business through the afternoon, though the atmosphere had felt increasingly tense to her and she would pick up on some strange mutterings here and again. When night fell, she began to hear terrible noises from the outside and then found herself suddenly taken by several Stormcloak guards. She was then pulled into the throne room with a sword to her throat by the header of this ordeal. It seemed as though she was to be made an example of.

Suddenly, she heard a loud, crashing, thunderous voice from near the entrance. Her eyes widened, showing a small amount of fear as she recalled a similar voice being used to incapacitate her husband shortly before he died. Had Ulfric turned around at the last minute to end her?

The cold steel remained pressed on her neck while her captor bickered with a Dark Elf that had turned in a bounty earlier that day. She wondered where all of her guards went. Perhaps they were done for or currently fighting off a full invasion.

"Does Ulfric know of what you are doing? As I recall, he spared my life for a reason. You would be undermining his authority by killing me and ruin his reputation," Elisif said, cutting her eyes at the man holding her hostage, managing to suppress the fear that was trying to build for now. Her expression was somewhat empty as she struggled to keep a regal appearance. Her eyes darted about the room, looking for Liam or perhaps Wraith-- or even Talon-- to help her. Surely they had their hands full right now, but she hoped someone other than a lone Dark Elf bounty hunter would appear to save her. Her conscience prevented her from fighting back or disturbing the situation, lest her unborn be harmed. For now, it seemed, all she could do was stall.

"If you want money, I can give you money. More than whoever is paying you to do this." Elisif said, full on bluffing. Most of her resources had been spent on her recent endeavors. But, it was worth a shot to try and bargain with this man. Her poker face was convincing, however, and it would be especially so to a brute Nord.

[Rayne7]

Wraith was surprised by the ease with which the Captain relinquished his crew to a stranger, but thought it likely due to their mutual friend's persuasion. Regardless, with the use of his newly acquired grapple-hook, the Assassin was soon scaling the wall with ease, in spite of having to dodge the bodies that fell. After finding himself targeted for the third time by two bowmen, he pulled a small one-hand crossbow he'd been lended by one of the crewmen not going on this excursion and fired it, taking one of his attackers in the throat and distracted the other long enough to take an arrow through the throat fired by someone else. Growling, the half-breed climbed quickly until he found himself partway up the stone wall, ahead of most of the force that was with him.

Gripping the rope tightly, the Listener began running towards one side until he could go no more, then spun and let the momentum carry him in the other direction, waiting until the last moment to apply his feet to raise himself further, then repeated the process until he found himself only a couple dozen meters from the top of the wall, at which point he grabbed onto the line of one of the dead men, and used it to complete his climb over onto the wall, rolling past the blades of the first two soldiers to notice his presence and drew his axes, which he then put to deadly use, blocking the attack from the soldier to his left even as he kicked the knee out from under the soldier to the right, cleaving the left soldier's meaty throat before bashing the helm of the right soldier's and throwing his corpse on the inside of the wall.

Got to clear the wall for the others, then get to the roof of the Palace, he thought to himself even as he picked the direction where most of his comrade's lines were and began killing whoever crossed his path with quick, deadly cleaving motions from his axes that either slew those before him or knocked them off the wall into the inner courtyard, removing the threat from the seamen until, in ones and twos, they too appeared on the wall.

Once he was certain most of them were there and the others weren't far behind, Wraith turned and began running for the Palace, quickly dispatching the soldiers in his path with furious blows that never lasted more than a few seconds at a time, even rolling over the shield of one enemy before hacking a leg out from under him before cleaving the other axe into his neck, using his boot to kick the body free before continuing his race to the Palace until he heard a dragon shout that made him pause. A quick look in the sky confirmed there was no presence of a dragon, before he shook his head and continued.

Closing in on the Palace, he noted the archers on the roof and cursed just as an arrow struck the ground between his feet, and another hit the wall behind him. Spinning his grapple hook, he tossed it without breaking pace and leapt from the outer wall to the castle wall, relying on the seamen with him to use their crossbows to cover him even as he climbed once more onto the roof of the Palace. Once he lifted himself onto the roof, he saw four archers had his men pinned down even as three others advanced on him.

Drawing his axes once again, the Assassin eyed his foes warily, moving nimbly on the rooftop with the ease of experience few would know. They spread out in a semi-circle before him, each searching for a weakness. The ones to the left and right of him struck at the same time, expecting him to attempt to parry both blows, and faltered when he merely side-stepped one of them and shoved him into the path of the other, taking the blade meant for him in the chest even as the third man managed to run his sword into Wraith's left shoulder, making him growl in pain and throw the corpse into him as well. Using his left axe to deflect the follow-up blow, he cleaved his right axe into the man's skull, then pivoted to avoid the remaining man's strike, causing him to fall to the ground below.

Without hesitation, he threw his right axe into one of the four archers who were more concerned with the seamen than the lone invader on the roof. The axe took one of the archers full in the chest, splitting the man's leather armor with enough force to take him from his feet. Even as the remaining three took note and adjusted to face their newest threat, an arrow took one of them through the eye, and another struck a second's leg. Side-stepping past another shot, Wraith used his remaining axe to break the man's bow even as his free hand drew his dagger and drove it into the man's throat, tossing the corpse aside and kicking the remaining archer's wounded leg out from under him and rammed his dagger between the mans ribs, then let the body fall to the roof.

Turning to face the men that accompanied him, he raised his dagger to signal the roof being clear, then waited for them to join him. Motioning to the First Mate, he grinned as she began her healing spell. "Just the touch I need." he teased, making her shake her head at him.

"Oh? Just the one?" she teased back, placing her hand on his shoulder wound.

"For the moment, anyways." he winked. "We can do more touching later."

Chuckling at the First Mate shaking her head, he turned to address the others. "Her and I will be the only ones going in. The rest of you, pick a window that gives you a vantage point and be prepared should we need you." Turning to the elf, he raised an eyebrow. "I just want you to watch my back, make sure nobody gets behind me. Are you ready?" he asked, then peered through the window that would place him behind the Captain. "If you need to cast a muffle spell, now's the time." he said quietly, then slipped in, landing on the ground quietly with dagger in hand.

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Talon was in the throne room when a man stepped forward to press a blade to Jarl Elisif's throat. From the appearance of the other Dark Elf and the fighting that was occurring elsewhere in the keep, she felt reassured that the Listener's plan was in motion, and it brought a smile to her lips even as she took a sip of her wine. Hearing the exchange of words only made her smile widen, even as she sauntered over to a table where she poured herself another before addressing the Captain.

"You poor fool, you should calm yourself. This matter will be resolved shortly with your death." Taking a sip, she turned to face him. "Kill her, and your death will be more slow and painful than you could possibly imagine." Sitting down with a grin, she continued. "Your plans were known before these events even began to take place, and we've taken the appropriate measures to ensure your failure. In fact, that shout you heard was one of ours. Surrender now, and Elisif can decide your fate. That is your only chance for survival, and even then I can't guarantee that anyone will stand for less than the taking of your life."