#ain't no storm like a Stormcloak storm

[thequeenofthewinter]

Storm for the dragon's ask! :D

Hi Mem <3 :) A storm you say? A storm(cloak) you shall have.

As he is agitatedly pacing the floor, Ulfric’s footsteps echo with loud, resounding thuds. How could everyone be so incompetent? His blood boils to the point where his face feels hot, and he cannot think clearly. All his thoughts are just a jumble of red static. He violently slams his fists onto the table in the War Room, sending the pawns on the map scattering in every which way.

“Where is she?” His voice trembles at a timbre he thought impossible. It shakes the stone foundations of the Palace with his thu’um. The few trusted advisors who were called to help with this delicate matter all look at each other in complete stunned silence. They have never before seen their Jarl this angry. If he doesn’t calm down soon, he’ll bring the whole Palace down around them.

“Well, is someone going to answer my question, or are you all going to stand there like fucking idiots? Where in Oblivion is she?” He asks again, his hands fisting his hair as he storms off to stare out the window behind him.

“We don’t know, but—” Galmar begins; however, he is not allowed to finish his sentence.

“That is not good enough!” He spins quickly turning to his friend, his blood-shot eyes filled with a tumultuous rage. “I want answers now. I will find whoever is responsible for taking her and have their head on a Talos-damned silver platter.”

It has been all Galmar can do over the last few weeks to try to comfort his oldest friend, promising that Dahlia will come back soon or that she has only been distracted with another task. However, Ulfric will have none of it. He has completely destroyed his own room every night for the past fortnight, only for the servants to pick it up the next morning and have him do it again the very next day. Galmar cannot possibly fathom the amount of pain the man is in. He has never in his life seen him act this way.

“I will send more scouts out to see where her trail left off and ask if any of the couriers have spotted her. They’re rather good at that kind of work.” The General offers trying to pacify him.

“At last, something useful.” Ulfric responds tersely. “And fetch Brelyna again while you are at it. I don’t care if she says she has not the faintest idea as to where Dahlia is. The mage has to have some answers or some vague notion of what happened. She was the last person to see her.” He turns to look at Galmar, his gaze finally giving away the true reason for his anger: desperation.

“Don’t worry. We will find her, Ulfric.” His oldest friend tells him before bowing and hastily walking out of the room.

“And as for the rest of you,” he addresses the remaining Stormcloak officers, “I want you to go to every house and knock on every door. Talk to everyone and see if they have seen or heard anything about her. No person and no house is to be left off of the list.” He tells them with the sharp edge of a threat in his tone. “If I find otherwise, you will answer directly to me.”

The rest of the group wastes no time on enacting Ulfric’s demand, filing out of the room quickly to avoid any more of his ire.

[umbracirrus]

WIP Weekend!💛

I'm finally feeling a lot better today, my ribs are just a bit sore from coughing but otherwise all feels good! I've got on my laptop for the first time in a week, so can properly have a swing at some writing!

I was tagged by @hircines-hunter, @thequeenofthewinter, and @skyrim-forever for WIP Wednesday earlier in the week, so I'll share a bit of a WIP now.

This is something which is happening in a few chapters' time in The Perfect Storm! Balgruuf has called a meeting with the thanes of Whiterun Hold, including Elyse and everyone's favourite Whiterun NPC - Nazeem. I felt like I wanted to give him a reason for always asking about going to the Cloud District, and the fact that he owns a farm makes me feel that he's probably somewhat successful (even if he lives in the Drunken Huntsman??? But I'll pretend he lives in Chillfurrow Farm)... so I decided he will be a thane. He ain't getting a housecarl though. I might also make a resident of Riverwood a thane too... maybe Gerdur.

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"I do not see such an arrangement being beneficial," Nazeem waved off, leaning back in his seat and tutting. "What can Winterhold offer Whiterun in return for our food, our crops, our supplies? We all know that the Stormcloaks will leech off any excess goods sent their way, and it isn't as though Winterhold produces anything of worth to us." He then turned his eyes towards Elyse. "But why don't we ask the Dragonborn, hm? We all know that she is the Jarl's favourite, after all."

"Nazeem, that is enough," Balgruuf muttered, casting a slight glare in his direction. "I do not prioritise the opinions of one thane over another."

"She lives in your palace. How could she not have your ear almost constantly?"

Elyse rubbed at her temples as the bickering over her status continued. If only she had taken longer to return from Riften, after having found herself entangled in politics there she felt as though she needed a break. And of course, the topic in question for today just had to be Winterhold… She was tired of hearing about it. Of course, the current situation in the room would be all the more aggravated if she were to ask for it to be pushed back to a time where she wasn't about… so she would simply have to bite her tongue over what she wanted to say. For now.

"He does have a point," she remarked before long, her head starting to almost throb from the back and forth arguing. "Most of Winterhold's exports are from the College itself as opposed to the hold, and Ko- the Jarl has made it abundantly clear that he wants no connection to it. And supplies in Whiterun have been unstable recently, remember what happened with Belethor's store as his goods got held up at a port? We need what we can."

Nazeem let out a triumphant 'hmph' at her comments.