The Wolf Queen Awakens

Chapter 34

When Elisif woke up, she was in the comfiest bed she'd ever been in, in a beautiful white and gold room with a Kynareth shrine in the window and transparent sheer curtains around the bed, all her aches and pains a memory. She'd never felt so relaxed.

This must still be Sovngarde. Shor's Hall must have the odd bedroom somewhere.

She sat up, seeing her Blades armour and the Jagged Crown on a mannequin, with her pack at its feet and the Shield of Solitude on a wall plaque with Dawnbreaker and Dragonbane glowing behind it. Someone had brought her in here and undressed her, changing warrior's clothes for a silk shift. She had no idea who, Jordis maybe? She couldn't see either housecarl standing for strange men seeing her undressed.

"Elisif?" And she knew him, that was Torygg! She had her husband back!

"Torygg!" she gasped, delight on her face... until she saw how sombre he was looking. She recalled how she'd snapped at him while fighting Alduin and winced. Clearly he was offended.

"Is this about the Shout?" she said hesitantly. "Because I didn't mean to hurt you, I just wanted you out of the way..."

"Yes," Torygg sighed. "I mean, no, I... Dragonborn? Really? You?"

"Of course I am, you saw me Shout, you saw me kill Alduin!" Elisif sighed. "I know it's unexpected, I don't even believe it myself sometimes but it's true!"

Torygg looked away, still grim.

"I'm not sure I do believe it," Torygg admitted. "You're not a warrior!"

Not a warrior, and people had been saying that all along, Falk had implied it, Rikke too, Balgruuf had said it at one point, Ulfric surely had believed it although she was also sure he was convinced otherwise now. No one took her seriously, and now her own husband had joined the chorus. Even after seeing her fight Alduin and win.

"Not a warrior?" Elisif snapped. "You tried to take on the World-Eater in your court robes and you tell me I'm not a warrior? I may not be the most skilled but I turned up in my best armour and with weapons I'd earned!"

That had got to him and Torygg did at least concede that point... but he still wasn't happy.

"You're my wife!" Torygg cried. "It's my job to protect you!"

"Well, you did a terrible job of it!" Elisif shouted, all the grief and guilt and long-suppressed rage finally coming out. How dare he, how dare he die and leave her alone with Solitude and the war and the Stormcloaks and dragons and everything?? "You died, Torygg! You died, you left me alone without anyone! Where were you when I really needed you, Torygg? Where were you when Whiterun was attacked, when Ulfric killed my housecarl and took my friend prisoner and nearly caught me, when the Dark Brotherhood tried to kill me, when they threw me in Cidhna Mine with the Forsworn?? When I really needed protection, where the fuck were you, Torygg?! Nowhere, that's where! Because you were dead and I was all on my own, so don't you dare give me that crap about having to protect me! I've been doing just fine without you!"

Torygg had gone pale, staring at her throughout all this, and Elisif realised she was crying, tears rolling down her cheeks, and she hadn't meant to hurt him, she hadn't! But it had all come pouring out and she'd not really realised until now that the dragon rage that had never been far away wasn't mindless at all, or untargeted. It was all directed at Torygg for being a fucking idiot and getting himself killed.

And if Torygg had given in and apologised properly, all might have been salvageable. But Torygg hadn't known his wife as well as he'd thought, and he certainly didn't understand the Dragonborn she'd become.