For All of Skyrim

Chapter 10: Elisif

The Dragonborn's smile was a devilish one, that grew even wider when Rikke slammed her hand down on his table.

"You will give Jarl Elisif the respect she deserves and address her by her rightful title." Rikke growled. A few patrons of the tavern were starting to look over at them warily. Elisif's heart began to beat faster. They were supposed to be as inconspicuous as possible, she didn't want anyone tipping off Ulfric how she was traveling and who she was traveling with. Though spies in Solitude were most likely few, she couldn't trust that there weren't Stormcloak sympathizers within earshot. What better place to spy than a tavern? She wondered.

"Rikke, it's alright, I think he only means to drop my title out of ease rather than lack of respect." She sighed as Rikke began to open her mouth to argue.

"We have a long journey ahead of us my friend, and I think even I will get tired of getting called Jarl for the entire trip."

Rikke relaxed her brow conceding the point.

"Maybe I should call you High Queen-" Mathis began to tease. But before he could finish, Elisif's hand flew to his mouth, covering his smirk. "I beg you to be more careful with your words" She hissed, panic seeping into her voice. He grabbed her wrist and gently removed her hand, but before he released her he brought her palm back to his lips and kissed it. She almost gasped at the sensation. Rikke bristled beside her. "As you command Elisif." Mathis replied his ruby eyes shining with mischief. She snatched her hand away.

Now her heart was beating quickly for other reasons, and while part of her was thankful for a distraction, another part cursed herself for swooning so easily. Especially after the night she had.

A pang of guilt struck her. She didn't say goodbye to Falk or anyone from the Palace. She didn't even leave a note. She hadn't slept the entire night after Falk had left her room. She was so angry with him, and maybe part of her leaving in such a way was because she wanted to punish him. To let him feel the absence she had felt. But the main motivation for leaving in the way that she had was to involve as little people as possible. She didn't want anyone interfering, and she didn't want to lose her nerve. She went to Rikke's room in the night to tell her the plan. Rikke, being the saint of a woman that she was, agreed immediately. She didn't even fuss when Elisif had jostled her awake, besides letting out a large yawn. Together the two women dressed for travel and set off to confront General Tullius. He was less gracious about being woken up in the early hours of the morning. Had Elisif not been the Jarl, she had a feeling he wouldn't have hesitated to run a sword through her for disturbing his rest. He had of course fought their idea at first, not at all trusting two women in the hands of the Dragonborn who they knew nothing about. He also made it abundantly clear that he had no respect in their abilities to keep one another safe. Elisif took the opportunity to berate him for having citizens create poisons for the war effort without her consent. This had been leverage enough to put him in his place. While he continued to express his distaste for her plan up until they left his quarters, she made it clear to him that she was not asking for permission, but doing him the courtesy of keeping him informed. The last thing she had said to the red faced general was, "We will meet you at High Horothgar. Don't be late, I hear the Greybeards despise tardiness." She had then shut his door rather abruptly in his face and set off with Legate Rikke to the Winking Skeever.

It wasn't until that moment, as Mathis gazed up at her, that she realized how impulsive and reckless she had been. It was too late to go back now though, she thought.

"Well, as soon as you're ready Mathis, gather your things and meet us at the stables." She wondered if she sounded as flustered as she felt. Without waiting for his reply, she turned on her heel and wove her way out of the tavern. Rikke followed without a word.

The stables were quiet that day, as though even the horses were in on her plot to be stealthy. Rikke helped Elisif tack up her chosen horse, a gentle sable colored animal named Calliope . When Elisif was able to get out and ride, she often rode Calliope and had a good connection with her.

"Hello sweet girl." She greeted the beast offering an apple she had packed specifically for her. "I have quite the favor to ask you." The horse took the treat and chomped it up in response.

"She seems to like you." Rikke remarked while she adjusted the saddle on her own horse. "I imagine that's not the first apple you've given her." Elisif laughed, "Nor will it be the last. I think she will have earned it when this journey is through." Rikke smiled and nodded while she mounted up, "You're certainly right."

"A mountain of apples for you both if you take good care of us." She promised their horses patting her's firmly on its neck.

"And what will I get for taking care of you?" A low voice asked.

Elisif whirled around to find Mathis leading an absolute behemoth of a stallion towards them. Mathis' horse had overgrown pitch black hair that matched his own, and a restless demeanor that suggested that it was prepared to gallop off at full speed as soon as it had the chance. "Gods. What sort of-" Rikke began to say.

"Now now, be nice to Nightweaver he has feelings too." Mathis chided.

He was wearing his ebony armor once again, like when she had first seen him from her balcony. The memory of that encounter sent shivers down her spine. The way he had thrown his voice to her had to have been some Dragonborn trick.

Mathis raised a brow at her and for a moment she worried if he could read minds too.

"Need a hand up?" He asked, nodding to her horse.

"Ah- no I can handle it thank you." She gracefully mounted up beside Rikke to prove her point.

"So you can." Mathis flashed his smile that almost bordered on mockery. She suddenly had the urge to smack it off his face. He pushed his way up onto his own steed effortlessly. Elisif was surprised his horse didn't even flinch at the weight of the Dragonborn in his heavy armor. But the massive animal just blinked, like a fly had landed on him instead of Mathis.

"It will be a four day journey, we can stop in Rorikstead and Ivarstead if it suits you, but I'm sorry to say that we may need to make camp in more rustic accommodations than what you might be used to as well."

Elisif hated that he was right, she had never so much as slept on the ground before, but she didn't want him to think her weak, so she only replied, "That's fine by me." And lead the way out of the stables.