The Wolf Queen Awakens

Chapter 1

"It's dead then?"

Falk Firebeard, Steward of Solitude, was addressing the hapless guard bringing news of the latest dragon attack on the city. It was the third this week, and even with Castle Dour's soldiers in the city, they were suffering. Elisif didn't even want to think about how the rest of Skyrim was doing. Badly, she suspected. A whole month since the Helgen attack, and the dragons were everywhere, it seemed. The attacks had started in the east, but since then, they'd spread. Nords were tough, Nords were brave, Nords were fighters. But what could even Nords do against foes that seemed to rise again days after they died?

Elisif didn't know, but she hated feeling so helpless. She was supposed to be queen in waiting, she was meant to be a Jarl! And yet her guards were barely holding it together, the Legion was stretched because of the war and Tullius kept brushing off her concerns. Elisif had a definite feeling she was being given the run-around, but she didn't know how to confront Tullius directly. Wasn't there anything she could do? There had to be something.

"Where's the body?" Elisif asked, interrupting the conversation, and that was another thing, the surprised and slightly annoyed look on Falk's face whenever she ventured an opinion. He was her steward, he was meant to answer to her! And yet somehow she always ended up giving in to him because he was older and experienced and had served as steward to both Torygg and his father.

"Out in the market, my Jarl," said Falk, gritting his teeth a little. "For now, anyway."

"I want to see it," said Elisif, feeling a little reckless, more so than usual. Ever since the dragons had come back, she'd felt restless. Penned in. Feeling like she was meant to be doing something, she didn't know what. And the dreams, always the dreams, dreams of flying, soaring through the air with the whole of Skyrim below her. She liked those dreams.

She was less keen on the dreams of blood and death and fire and screaming, especially the ones where she was not an innocent bystander on the ground, but descending from the sky causing it.

"My Jarl," Falk began, "you don't need to see the body for yourself, they all look much the same."

"I agree," Sybille put in, "I've already thoroughly examined the body of two previous kills, you're not going to notice anything I missed."

Elisif could really slap her court mage sometimes.

"I. Want. To. See it," Elisif snapped, her voice coming out in a ferocious low growl that surprised even her. Falk flinched back, Sybille looked a little nervous, and even Erikur had reacted. Good. She'd have to raise her voice more often if that was the result. "In fact, I'm going to see it. I am Jarl and I can go where I like in my own city."

Without waiting for an answer, she got up and strode off, making for the door.

"Oh for Divines' sake," she heard Falk cry before snapping at Bolgeir to get after her. Elisif allowed herself a small smile. She'd won this victory at least. Falk might be used to getting his own way, but he couldn't actually override her.

She made her way out of the palace, down the Avenue and past the Hall of the Dead, before passing under the bridge and into the market place. The dead dragon was lying up ahead, taking up virtually all the space. They were a lot bigger close up. Elisif had seen them from her window in the Blue Palace, but they'd moved too fast for her to get a good look at. She wasn't sure now that was such a bad thing. Even dead it looked frightening, with its tough scales and teeth the size of her arm and wickedly sharp claws and spines. There was quite a crowd standing around it, guards, citizens, soldiers, children. The muted chatter fell quiet as they all saw their Jarl approach.